Reasons
by SpeikobraRote
Summary: God is gone and Castiel needs to find a new Reason for his existence, which makes him move on. Sadly, his choice to stay with the Winchesters doesn't make things easier for the angel. When he realises the changing in his body and mind, it becomes worse...
1. A very shitty day

**Updated Version**

**EDIT: Since I know the group of ppl only enjoy or mostly enjoy the smutty stuff:**

**Chapter 13 is yours...**

**We want to keep it INcharacter so we work with feelings and thoughts and slow development.**

**Also: This fic sets straight after Episode 10 of Season 5. Prologue reveals it all.**

**First chapter of a collaborative work of a friend of mine and me. If you expect a short entertainment with Castiel and Dean making out you can leave now. This story will develop slowly.**

**Anyway...**

**Enjoy the first of many chapters!**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

THEN

It still seemed like a dream. Everything that had happened until now! He would have never believed in angels. In his world demons existed, yes. Monsters as well! Many different kinds of monsters, but angels, heaven and hell? Christ, it was already hard for him to live his life, having a little brother he had to worry and take care about.

Sam Winchester: brother, freak and demon blood addict, it could not get worse, Dean had thought. But he was wrong, as always. He had been wrong in so many things and ways. He probably would not have known about his brother's secret yet, if Castiel, an angel of the lord, had not shown him. He still was not over that and it would take a while until he was.

To make things worse, his little brother had started the freaking apocalypse, unintended but he did. There were angels telling them they were some kind of vessels for the archangel Michael and the fallen one, Lucifer. That was not even the worst thing about it. The worst thing was God! After the chat with Joshua, Dean had felt a cold shower of despair. And Castiel? He was disappointed. He finally had reached the bottom of his existence.

Lost, betrayed and still, he was moving on.

Dean could not believe how the angel kept going but he did, somehow. This all sounded like a stupid teenager love-drama book. And he certainly did not want to read it since they always ended with a kiss, though!

Now, the big question was: what were they going to do next and how? Those damn angels were always one step ahead. How in god's name was he going to fight them if he did not even trust his little brother? It almost seemed like he only had Bobby.

**1. A very shitty day. **

Remember to always have a plan B.

TODAY

The sky had already turned into a mix of purple and scarab-blue like color, while a few lousy clouds were surfing on the skyline of the city nearby.

The last four hours Dean had spent driving on the Route 36 to Indiana, but now he felt the urge to get some sleep, otherwise, he knew but did not want to admit he would have crashed the car against the next post. And there was the giant unmissable sign for the next motel around here, he was waiting for.

Dean drove his Impala into the parking lot next to the Motel called 'Good Old Stay'. The engine stopped working. He gave the wheel a last soft and firm grip, stroking the leather and he got out off the car. A very unpleasant loud smashing sound of the right door of his car caused the Winchester to turn his head.

"Sammy, I excuse a lot you were doing lately but hurt my baby one more time and I have to punch you in the face!" he said, taking out his bag from the trunk. Sam just lifted his shoulders.

"It's a car, Dean. It doesn't have any feelings." he said, not understanding, how his brother could be in love with a car!

"Just stop doin' it, Bitch." Dean replied and continued his way to the entrance, glancing around to see only a few more cars. This Motel was obviously 'very popular'.

At the reception Dean rang the bell.

No response.

Dean rang the bell once more. Again, silence. This time Dean punched the bell that the pushing-button bent a little.

"What the hell? Hello, customer waitin'!" the hunter said loudly. Nothing was to be heard but a giggling noise coming from behind him.

His neck already used to be bent like this the whole day. He turned his head to his brother, this time with a killing expression.

"Somethin' funny, Sam?" The addressed person shook his head, trying not to laugh into his older brother's stressed and pissed looking face.

Sam knew, the condition Dean was in, allowed no more joking around. He was sure if he went further, Dean probably would have killed him. Or maybe not killed but probably tortured. Nevertheless, he could not help but smile meaningful.

The hunter turned around, facing the reception again.

"For god's sake, could somebody just gimme a friggin' key for a friggin' room? I'm tired and I need a bed. Now!" Dean shouted and punched the bell so hard that it was not able to take the pressure anymore and broke.

Finally, a man appeared in his sight. Where the hell did he come from? Possibly somewhere out of one of the rooms but the doors were all shut. Sneaky guy! He appeared to look like one of these guys from a bad horror movie: a plaid green-red jacket, brown, dirty trousers and long filthy nails.

His unwashed, brown hair dangled in long thin streaks from his head.

He was closing his pants and cursed very unholy.

"Jeez, ya guys know what time it is? People tend to sleep or are busy now!"

Dean stared at the man in front of him. He felt the urge need to punch him into his face. Lately he felt like punching everyone who was pissing him of, especially his little demon blood addict brother.

But being professional was one of his abilities, so he calmed himself down, his weariness helping to relieve the stress.

He put on a little smile and asked for a room for one night.

"I would like to sleep too, you know? So just gimme a key, I pay you and everyone will be happy again."

He was unbelievable polite regarding the situation and quite patient referring to his condition.

Dean exchanged a few more glances with the owner and finally received the key, number on it barely visible and turned to leave.

"Just to let ya guys kno'. The toilet on the first floor is broken. Ya gotta go to the one at the end of the second floor." Scratching his crotch he turned and left again. Not leaving a sound of any door shutting behind him.

Disgusting and creepy, yeah, that was what those guys made you trust your well being in.

The lock clicked and the door... did not move.

With a rough kick it finally jumped open. Sam, looking over his brothers shoulders into the room inhaled the mouldy smell. He wrinkled up his nose.

"Well then, Dean. Think you got the luxury suite here." Dean rolled with his eyes. He was simply not in the mood for any blunt joke right now. The Winchester moved his hand along the crumbling wall.

The wallpaper curled itself upside down and with every step, the floor made a unique sound they would always remember from the 'Good Old Stay'. The smell, sound and sight would stick to them for a while.

Dean shrugged. Finally he found the switch for the light. Sam was right. The room simply did not just stink. It also looked, well, like a gross disaster had met its fate in a pool of rain soaked interior combined with drowned insects.

Slowly, Dean moved to one of the beds and sat down. At least the springs were working, somehow.

"Guess we've reached another bottom in our lives." Sam said, checking the bathroom.

Leaving the bathroom by itself he returned to his brother, checking the condition of the sheets twice before he sat on the opposite bed with a disturbing squelchy sound.

"Let's just hope the water is clean." Sam commented in disgust. Dean was more used to such places but his little brother with his cleanliness, well... it was difficult. The older Winchester moaned something like "I don't care" before he fell backwards on the bed. Yes, the bed felt like a stone somehow, a wet soaked stone.

"Well." Sam stood up again, the springs moaning in protest.

"I'll go check out the little store around the corner. We need something to eat. Besides, I don't want to stay in this disgusting place. Have it all for yourself." the younger Winchester told his brother and left the motel room, not waiting for any reply.

Since Sam had already slept in the car, he was not as tired as his brother. Besides, it suited Dean well, when he said, he would check out the shop for food, that way he did not have to do it by himself.

He would not have done it anyway, since he was tired, no, he was exhausted. The last hunt had required all his input: physically as well as mentally.

10 Hours earlier

Why do girls always play with freaky dolls and voodoo stuff? It seemed to be a bad habit for these kids to test everything they read on the internet.

The parents screamed, the girls cried and he had to chase the damn thing which came alive after a couple of girls wanted to have their own 'Chucky the Murder Doll'.

It was just horrible! Dean sharply exhaled. After locating this stupid girl-toy he could not believe what he saw: blonde, long, curly hair, big boobs, full, red lips, blue eyes and a creepy smile.

This murder doll was a Barbie! After he and Sam had cornered Murder-Barbie, she escaped into a small pipe and Dean was chosen to go after her. It was obvious that Sam was way too tall for that job!

The result was Dean getting soaked wet and smelly.

To make things worse, he got attacked by that creepy little Barbie-Chucky-Murder-Doll-Blondie with a pocket knife.

A damn pocket knife! Since he was limited in his movements due to the little space he practically let Barbie cut him as she pleased until she got to self confident and got in his range.

He ripped her apart. Nobody attacked Dean Winchester with a pocket knife! A machete, yes, but not a pocket knife! However, he was listening to the screams of Barbie with satisfaction when he ripped off her left arm, than the other one, both legs and finally, slowly chopped off her head. Watching the spirit in the toy's eyes vanish with a grin on his face, he tossed the leftovers into the endless darkness of the pipe.

That had indeed been very satisfying. But later on the road to the next stay for the night he could feel the result of his Barbie encounter. Cut by a ridiculous pocket knife...

Now

As Dean rolled from one side to another he groaned again but neither position was good enough. Both of them hurt like his chest, his legs and his head. For one second he thought about calling for his apparently private angel to make him take all the pain away and heal his wounds though his ego was still scratched but instead he yelled angrily.

"Jesus Christ!"

He closed his eyes and changed his position once more. As he realized that there was no way he could sleep he sat up again. Glancing straight forward as his eyes widened for second.

"For Chrissake!"

When did he show up? The male figure just stared at the ground between him and Dean, standing motionless in the corner of the room. When he finally considered that Dean was capable to listen again, he raised his voice.

"Hello, Dean."

"Damn you, Cas! How often did I tell you not to zap yourself into the room but in front of the damn door?" Dean replied without greeting the angel.

"You are angry, Dean." Monotonous as always, making a statement and not a question. Nothing the angel had ever asked sounded like a question to him in the first place, whatever.

"Why do you always keep referring to Jesus Christ, Dean? Apparently, he died a long time ago, so he won't be able to help you." Dean raised an eyebrow.

"I know. Everybody says that. It's called a general statement or do you want me to say 'Oh my Cas'?" Castiel tilted his head a little to one side: looking curious, confused and serious at the same time. On second thought it did not even sound that bad.

"That wouldn't make sense, Dean. Why would you want to do that?"

With a loud groan the Winchester hid his face in his palms. He was even too exhausted for Castiel! Why did he even want to heal him?

Oh dear. He was a man, a human! He could heal those pathetic little scratches by himself!

"I don't know why you're here Cas, but whatever it is, please man, wait 'till I'm well rested and recovered, just a bit." Alright, he had cut the angels name once again and he did not seem to bother about it. In that case, he could get used to make things short and simple.

Shortening names was just as effective as calling out 'hey' to someone in front of you, always made things easier. The angel moved towards the Winchester.

"You are tired."

Again, a statement, a conclusion! But not a question!

However, Dean was way too done to get angry about that now. He, actually, got a little used to that if he was perfectly honest. Considering that the angel did a lot to behave a little human, he could only encourage his behavior, even if he wanted to kick the angel sometimes. Hurting himself in the process was not necessary to be considered. Just the moment that counts. But, instead, he said out loud:

"Yes, Cas. I'm tired. I had a long day and I'm exhausted. My whole body aches, so please, gimme some time to relax." Since when did he use 'please' in his sentences?

"You need to relax, of course." The angel repeated more for himself than to Dean. This short sentence was enough to get the ball rolling.

Castiel rolled up the sleeves of his trench coat and what lied beneath it. Dean just watched him doing so, wondering, even a little curious, what the angel was up to.

"Cas?"

He had not seen the angel do such a thing ever before. Sometimes he reminded Dean of a statue due to his limited movements and when he actually moved it seemed so surreal, like he had a stick up his ass.

The Winchester felt a little strange watching Castiel but he was way too curious not to do so. He never had seen his arms.

"Speak to me, Cas!" Dean commanded but the angel seemed to completely ignore him until he was finished. Obviously being busy to prepare himself for whatever he was going to do next.

Castiel looked at Dean, seemed to think of an answer and finally spoke up.

"You have to lay back now." Dean Winchester did not budge a single muscle. Unsure if he had misunderstood the angel. Just staring back at the angel was all he managed.

"Dean." Castiel said patiently.

"Lay down." he continued, but when Dean still refused to be willing to move on his own, the angel just gripped the hunter's shoulders and forced him down.

Now was the right time for Dean to start fighting, kicking, punching, whatever just to get those hands off of him. Unfortunately, the odds were not in his favor.

The angel was much stronger than he was. This was not that surprising. He even managed it to turn Dean over and made his face meet the stinky pillow.

_What the hell is going on_, Dean asked himself and panicked a little bit. That was nothing Castiel usually did. That he knew for sure! Castiel may have some problems with keeping his personal space but this was completely different and that scared Dean.

First murder Barbie, second Castiel showing up and forcing him onto the bed? Did he want to sleep with him, or what? That was way too much for one unusual day.

"Castiel, stop this." was the only thing the hunter could say muffled by the pillow. Dean turned his head so he could, at least, see him.

"Dean, do not move. You just hurt yourself." The Winchester heard the angel say. That bastard angel remained focused and spoke as nothing embarrassing and weird was just happening.

"I've seen this in a place you call 'stores'. I witnessed a woman doing this to another. She had said it would make her feel relaxed. If I do it right, you'll relax too." Castiel explained patiently and calm.

That explanation was not really helpful to keep the freaked out man quiet. The truth on the other hand was the angel was not sure on how it was done properly, so he had to improvise.

The Winchester still tried to get up again but lost at Castiel's next move.

To prevent Dean from moving he sat on his backside, straddling him. That way, he could not turn around.

After he pinned Dean down properly, making sure he would not move, he put his hands on the hunter's shoulder blades, starting to push a little, not intending to hurt the human under him. Castiel started to move his hands in circles. Slowly! Very slowly.

Dean held his breath. What was the freaking angel doing, now? The Winchester had tried to turn but when Castiel had sat on his ass and started to press him down, it was over. Literally!

"Dean, if you keep moving so much, I cannot make you feel relaxed at all." The angel said, moving his hands to Dean's shoulders back and then down his spine.

How did he expect the Winchester to relax in this overpowering situation? He was not even able to speak anymore. His face color competed with a tomato and then, the switch in his head turned. Castiel was not trying to abuse him or anything like that. He tried to massage him. He strained his muscles, inhaled and yelled.

"Stop doin' this, Cas, now, as in immediately!" His voice sounded too high in his opinion but the hunter did not care about that right now. He had a worse problem. Surprised, the angel stopped moving his hands as he was told.

"Do you dislike it, Dean?" What a question…

"Stop Dean-ing me! Are you outta your mind or why are you almost assaulting-slash-abusing me?" Dean hissed. His face was still red, but not only with embarrassment, also with rage. How often had he told the angel not to do certain things?

Or simply ask, before he tried to do something human! A dozen times, if not even more! When Castiel moved off his ass, Dean sat up. He looked furious. If looks could kill, the angel would have died a very slow and very painful death.

"What the hell were you thinking? Don't you dare to do that ever again, you understand me? Never ever again!" Now, staring at the angel made him feel exposed.

He still could feel his cheeks burning.

"But, Dean, I thought it would help you feel better. That's what the woman in the store had said." Castiel looked down on his shoes. His facial expression showed disappointment.

"I did not mean to make you angry." Castiel continued.

Dean looked straight into the angels face. He somehow looked intimidated and confused?

No way! He must have been mistaken. Right at that moment he was that outrageous that he did not want to care about the angels hurt feelings. Perhaps not intended but Castiel's words made Dean's anger grow a little more.

"Don't you dare to say another word or I swear I'll punch you!" Dean hissed threatening, anger boiling inside of him.

"If I wanted a massage, I would go grab me a girl for that. Not a man, not an angel. If I really seriously wanted somebody touching me all over than I would go into a store and not do it in a dirty stinky motel room like this one!" The hunter took a deep breath before he continued.

"Now, Castiel," Feeling way saver to return to the old fashioned proper name, he continued. "You're gonna tell me why you did it and what you actually came for because after that I'm gonna go to bed. Sleeping! I had a shitty day and you don't need to make it worse, what you actually already did."

Silence! Dean raised his eyebrows.

"I'm waiting." Castiel, obviously confused, did not know what to do, now. First, Dean said to shut up, than he wanted him to speak. Could he not finally decide what he wanted? So, he hesitated before he said the most logical thing he could say.

"You said I shall not speak, Dean." Castiel looked at Dean. His bright-blue eyes were stabbing into him, as always.

For a second, Dean seemed confused, not knowing what the angel was talking about. Then he knew. He shook his head.

"Yes, you're right but now I want an answer." He said, trying not to sound too impatient and angry.

"And sit down. You're making me nervous, standing so close to me."

Castiel obeyed and sat down on the other bed. A few seconds passed by before he started talking.

"You said you need to relax because you are tired. That is what humans do. If I would help you feel better, you would fall asleep more quickly. When humans sleep they 'recover'." Castiel used his fingers to indicate quotation marks when he said the last word.

"And what was the actual reason you got your ass here in the first place?" Dean asked, slowly calming down again. He could not be angry at the angel, he just tried do help him, apparently. Failing on that, but that was a different topic.

When Castiel did not answer Dean slid a little forward.

"Hey, big boy! C'mon tell me, what's the reason for you being here?" _Okay, that was odd_, Dean decided and moved back again. Keeping his sacred personal space and waiting for an answer.

Meanwhile

After Sam had left the room he hurried along the corridor of the first floor. Even there it was stinky and the corners showed signs of gray.

_Iuhh, that's disgusting_, Sam thought and continued his way to the reception. He noticed that the lights were dim and ones sight was pretty much affected by the semi-darkness. Sam really had a strange feeling about this place.

Usually, there were noises. People talking in their rooms, snoring or at least groaning like there was no tomorrow but it was disturbingly silent. The floorboard was creaking, but strangely, everything else was all quiet. Not even water was dropping from some leaking pipes which he, to be perfectly honest, expected in this motel.

Sam shrugged. Perhaps he was starting to get paranoid. After all that had happened he would not even disagree.

The hunter pushed the door open and left the motel. The fresh clean air burned in his nostrils but it was not unpleasant. He eventually liked it. The young man took his time, walking slowly over to the shop.

Somehow, Sam felt very uncomfortable again. He turned around, looking back to the motel. All windows were dark, not even a light was burning behind those dirty glasses. Weird, but at the sight of the few cars in front of the motel, it was nothing surprising.

Sam shrugged, turned around once more, cursing himself and continuing his way to the nearby shop to buy some food and something to drink, mainly beer. Dean would be so proud of him…

The younger Winchester inspected the broken shop sign and the nearby trash with one eye before he pushed the door open and entered the shop. Sam glanced to the counter and his eyebrows rose.

_Okay, nobody there, fantastic_, he thought and stepped further in. He grabbed a basket and started packing things he and his brother needed: a salad, an apple pie, oh yes, Dean would surely love some pie, sandwiches, a milkshake and beer, lots of it.

Walking to the counter the light above him flickered for a second, too short for him to notice. Placing his basket on the counter he looked around, searching for any sign of an employee. He waited a few minutes but still, there was no cashier Sam could pay. The Winchester made an annoyed grunt.

Close to calling out for somebody, his attention got caught by something afar. In the corner of his eye he saw a dark figure moving in direction of the motel entrance. Sam turned his head but whatever he had seen, it was already gone. He pulled out his wallet left enough money with a generous tip and left the shop. He exited the shop and went back to the motel.

Back in the motel room

Castiel looked up from the floor, stared at Dean in his usual manner and opened his mouth.

"I wanted to have a few moments not thinking about why God won't help. The search was pointless from the start. That's a big disappointment, his decision too!" Castiel said quietly nearly whispering the last part.

Was Dean mistaken or did the angel look a little bit embarrassed because of that explanation? Before he could ask anything else, the angel threw him an

"I better get going." against his head and was about to disappear, as a high pitched scream emerged from somewhere in the motel and was closely followed by a few gunshots.

"Damn it, why does this shit always need to happen when I'm pissed and tired?" Dean cursed. Castiel turned his head towards the door.

"Where's Sam?" It seemed his plans to leave got canceled for now. The angered Winchester jumped to his feet and headed straight for their bags.

Considering the scream he needed something bigger than his usual Colt M1911A1 and retrieved a larger rifle out of his bag.

"Now let's get goin'!" he said as he turned towards the door only to discover the Thai-massage angel was gone.

"Having an angel isn't as useful as they make the people believe." Dean resigned and made his way out of their stinky bedroom.

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><p><strong>Hope you did enjoy it.<strong>

**The next chapter will contain blood and gore so if you can't stand that, you should skip it.**


	2. The perfect leverage

**Updated Version**

**Welcome to chapter two! **

**Be warned, this chapter contains a little bit of torture, blood and a black suited demon. **

**Enjoy and if you got two seconds, leave us a little feedback, everyone is happy receiving something!**

**Fun be with you!**

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><p><strong>2. The perfect leverage<strong>

If you don't have a plan B, just improvise!

Alright so, where did the damn scream come from? Dean perked his ears and looked in both directions the hallway would lead. No one was shooting. If that was a good or bad sign he did not dare to think about.

„Sammy, goddamnit, were are you?" He moved forward, heading towards the reception. The light, what a surprise, was not working anymore, so only the moonlight from outside guided his way and prevented him from falling over anything in his way.

Slowly but steady he moved into one direction heading towards the end of the floor and the stairs. All his senses were sharp again, no signs of exhaustion anymore, what stress and the release of epinephrine could do to people, wonderful.

He moved on, always awaiting something to strike.

Holding his gun in front of him he kept moving.

„Cas?"

Dean whispered. _Dammit, where the hell is this angel, when I need him_, Dean thought and felt his anger-level rise, again. The hunter peered around the corner. Nobody there! When he pulled back he felt a warm breath on his neck.

„Dean!" Before the Winchester knew what just happened he shrieked with fright. Dean thought his heart just stopped beating and he would die in a cardiac arrest.

His back pressed against the wall, the hunter tried to calm down, busy catching his breath. Where did that freaking angel come from so suddenly?

Dean was only capable of glancing at Castiel. Not a word wanted to get out of his throat.

„I brought you some light." The angel said and held a flashlight out to Dean. The eldest Winchester was still staring.

„Are you alright, Dean? You look in pain." How did the angel come to that idea…

Finally, Dean caught himself and glared at Castiel. Packing the angel at his collar, he said „Don't you ever do that again. Or I swear..." Castiel interrupted the hunter as patient as always but defining.

„Dean, I'm trying to help you." The angels face darkened a bit. To Dean, it seemed like Castiel wanted him to remember more than just that, but he kept his mouth shut. Dean gulped, he had noticed that Castiel had changed but in such an extreme way he still could not quite believe it.

_Focus, Dean Winchester! You need to work here._

Dean took the flashlight from Castiel, nodding a silent 'thanks' and turning around the corner. Stairs up, or down?

Dean decided to take the stairs leading to the second floor. He stepped onto the first step and a crunch resounded.

_Shit, being sneaky is way harder in this environment_, he thought and kept going, though. Dean felt very stupid right now. Remembering all those horror movies where the people always went upstairs, even though it was obvious that something was up there, possibly wanting the person's blood and body on the floor beneath. And now, he was doing the same thing. Dean muttered with a low voice, turned his head, making sure the angel was following him this time.

Unlike Dean, who was prowling up the stairs, Castiel was less that sensitive. But still, he was not making any noises, though. How did the angel do that in god's name? Dean cleared his throat.

_Focus, Winchester! Goddammit!_ And then, they reached the next floor. Lucky for him, the stairs were at the end of the floor, so there was only one way to go.

As fast as he could, the hunter moved from the stairs into the middle of the floor, pointing his gun at an imaginary target.

Dean glanced at Castiel and then back along the corridor. He could not see much, but what he saw was enough, for now. There seemed to be an open door, if he was not mistaken. Dean could not help it and cursed. This semi-darkness was a disadvantage and the flashlight was not helpful at all.

„Dean?" The hunter was aware of Castiels eyes resting on him. Dean signaled the angel to get ready and the angel obeyed. He drew his blade out of the coats sleeve.

They started moving again and finally, they heard some voices. Dean recognized one of those as Sam's.

Lowering his guard, the eldest Winchester moved forward until he reached the door. When his baby brother was in danger, his brain simply stopped working properly. In addition to that, he was overtired.

He did not even notice the person who was standing behind him when he entered the room, the only thing he could hear was his brother shouting his name but it was already too late. He had run into a damn trap.

„Caught'cha off guard, idjit." A voice said and punched him directly into the face. Dean staggered back, losing his gun in his attempt to not lose his balance but he got his legs caught in some ropes and fell anyway, hitting his head against the wall. That was more than just unpleasant. Dean moaned with pain.

„Shit." he said, and glared at the person, who had just attacked him. It was that dirty, smelly, slimy and disgusting receptionist.

„Didn't I told'cha that some people w're busy?" the man groaned at him with a wide smile on his face, showing the dirty and broken teeth. This man really was disgusting!

Dean turned his head toward his brother.

„Sammy, you okay?" he asked, his voice brittle. „Sammy is alright, do not worry, big brother." another voice said. „Let me ask you a question. Where is that little guardian angel of yours? He sure isn't that far away, is he?"

Then, the voice commanded „Call him!" but Dean simply smirked.

„As if he would listen to that." he said, hoping, Castiel was not as dumb as he was and running into this room. The Winchester pulled himself up at the wall. He was not willing to surrender that easily.

„I really had a bloody fuckin' day and now I'm gonna relieve some anger." he said grinning and attacked the receptionist-slash-soon-beaten-up-dude.

The other man caught his first punch but that did not matter much since it was just a distraction. Dean rammed his knee into the man's stomach and he bent himself. In that position, the man gripped Dean hard and smashed him against the wall once more. The air escaped the hunter's lungs.

Trying to free himself, Dean rammed his knee a second time into the man's stomach but this time the bastard caught it, held it tight and... Dean screamed out in pain. Did that frigging dude just bit him?

With a bloody grin on his face the man threw the Winchester to the ground.

„I'm s'ry, I've been starvin' for a few days now. I had to take a bite." Dean just stared, mouth agape.

„Dean, they're ghouls." Oh, really…

Dean looked at his brother with sarcasm written all over his face.

„Thank you for that, Sammy."

„Dean." Castiel was standing in the threshold, moving into the room to get a hold of the man in front of the hunter but suddenly three more ghouls appeared, attacking the angel.

Turning around on the spot he could get rid of one of them immediately, leaving his dead corpse behind. The other two stumbled back, bringing space between them and the angel.

„Watch out!"

Dean tried to warn Castiel but it was too late. The receptionist-ghoul smacked the angel down, at least he tried.

It was a bizarre picture. The ghoul twice the size of Bud Spencer was riding the angels back like a cowboy on a stubborn mustang.

Holding tight to the angels back he tried to kick against the back of his knees to make him fall. Castiel was a soldier, not some little random angel as everybody seemed to think. He was indeed very skilled, so it was no problem to shake the ghoul off his back.

He stabbed him brute and powerful through his mouth. The dead ghoul slid down the angel blade, leaving bloody stains on the angel's trench coat and landing on the ground with a sound of something breaking.

The other ghouls moved backwards and Castiel followed them slowly, ready to attack, when the ghoul standing next to the tied up Sam yelled:

„Now!"

The angel turned around just to notice the sudden appearance of flames surrounding him. He had walked into the trap, literally.

All three of them!

The day just got worse with every second that past.

Dean cursed unintended. Why did he not see that coming? Castiel looked around him, than his eyes wandered over to the ghoul who seemed to be the head of this group, than to Sam and finally, to Dean. The Winchester could see confusion in the angel's eyes, but also surprise.

„Nice oil ya got there and your car isn't bad either." the ghoul next to Sam said and showed the bottle and all three of them recognized it as the one from Dean's inventory. Dean turned his head to the ghoul and made a face.

„Dude, the way you look like, you don't even know the difference between bumper and accelerator. So stop pretending you know what my baby is." he said.

This low-life creature had dared to get close to his baby, even touched it. That had to be punished. Nobody touched his wonderful Impala but him, Sam, Bobby and Castiel eventually.

This indeed was an awkward situation. Sam moved uncomfortable on his chair, trying to get rid of the bonds. Dean could not help it but stare back at Castiel.

The angel returned the same gaze.

„Well, well, what have we here?" The ghoul said, a little fighting not to look pissed.

„Sam and Dean Winchester and their pet angel. From all places you end up here. I'm seriously honored to have you here. Please be my guests and stay for dinner." the man said sarcastically, stepping in front of the group.

It was quite obvious regarding his clothing and way to speak, that he was the head of the group.

„You know, we kept our existence a secret most of the time but when the hunger comes..." he shrugged as he felt sorry for that matter.

„It's been a while since we could catch us some prey. Nowadays it's pretty hard to survive if you're surrounded by demons, angels and what else is crawling on earth by now. My family can barely survive on those nibbles every month!" Anger was burning in his voice.

„I'm so sorry, did you try to call for a pizza extra meaty?" Dean felt not a little bit sorry for the 'poor' ghoul or his damned family. All he knew was they had to get out of here as fast as possible and hopefully with all their body parts attached.

The leader glanced at the eldest Winchester.

„You are quite impertinent for the situation you're in, Dean!" The ghoul spit out his name as it was something disgusting. He walked straight over to the hunter.

„I guess we need to teach you some manners." The ghoul snapped with his fingers and the remaining two followers obeyed.

They walked past Castiel's burning cage, gripped Dean onto his upper arms and lifted him up.

„You see, your brother is well educated, from my point of view. He knows when to speak." The ghoul glared at Dean.

„Your little pet over there has killed my little baby." the head of this ghoul family continued. Dean grinned.

„He's not my pet!"

„Oh really?" the ghoul asked.

„Then, tell me why he stays by your side, whenever you need him?" Dean frowned in surprise.

„We know a lot 'bout you." One of the ghouls said, gripping his hurt leg hard, pressing one finger into the wound and drew his finger right back into his mouth and licked off the delicious hunter's blood.

Dean clenched his jaw, glancing over to the angel. Castiel was still standing in that burning circle. His face darkened and if he was not mistaken, even angry, his eyes pinned onto the daddy-ghoul.

If Dean had not known it better, he would have said, Castiel tried to kill this creature by simply looking at it. Humanity would be long gone, if looks ever worked that way.

His thoughts were interrupted by that ghoul.

„You know, we're not allowed to hurt Sam. The angel is obviously too strong for us to handle, so we rather keep him on the short leash. But you! We've got a free ticked to do whatever we want to do with you!" he smiled and cocked his head to the left side.

„Bring him to the table."

Sam screamed for his brother. Both Winchesters knew what would come next. Dean was trying to free himself while Sam was moving on the chair, desperately pulling on the ropes. He did not want his brother to be tortured.

The younger Winchester turned his head to Castiel.

„Castiel, you've gotta help him!" As if the angel did not know that! He even stepped forward, stretched out one hand as a reflex, but then, he stopped again. He was unable to step over the fire, but perhaps...

The two ghouls tried to bind Dean onto the table. The Winchester kept fighting, not ready to give in.

„Get your filthy hands off me or I swear to god I'm gonnaaaaaaaa..." Dean yelled. Big daddy had taken a knife and cut into the hunters back, earning a painful hiss. He licked the blood off from the knife.

„Naah, I'd say you're enough for the hors d'oeuvre. Perhaps we'll try your little angel over there, too." the ghoul said.

„Now, nail him!" he continued but Dean would not be Dean if he would let creepy ghouls do as they pleased.

Dean used his head as a ram, hitting one of his tormentors at his chin. The wound at the back of his head made itself present. Dean gritted his teeth. He was not going to give up! Not without a big show, at least.

The ghoul tottered and loosened his grip on Dean's arm. That was his chance. Dean punched at the other ghoul. This one was taller than the rest of them. He easily caught Dean's fist in his own, forcing the hunters arm down.

Dean put all his strength in it but he was no match.

He used his other fist, wanted to punch him but the father was faster. Until now, he just had watched but he started to lose his patience.

He held Dean's arm down, forcing his hand onto the table and stabbed it, bringing the knife threw his palm and pinning his hand to the table.

The third ghoul rushed over to the table to help his father by tying down the hunters legs to stop him from kicking and struggling.

The last ghoul grabbed Deans other hand, placed it to one corner of the table and jabbed another large knife through the nerves and bones of the Winchesters hand, drawing another sharp painful hiss from his throat.

He would not need to use them anymore anyway.

„Lunch... finally."

„Fuck you." Dean glared at the dirty smiling ghoul before his other arm was tied up, too._ That's not good. Do something' Winchester. Don't panic!_ Dean was close to panic. He was allowed to panic, was he not? There were three hungry ghouls ready to eat him and more, eventually.

Dean felt trapped, with his chest lying on the table and his hands tied up, unable to move. _Okay, now is the right time to panic_, he decided. The ghoul withdrew the knife out of Dean's hand, making him cry out.

The hunter's breathing was fast. He could feel the blood coming out of his hand. _It's definitely the right time_, he thought, gritting his teeth.

„Dean, you okay?" Sammy asked, worrying. He could not see anything because the ghoul was standing in his sight.

„Yeah, Dean, you okaaaaay?" The ghoul in front of the older Winchester repeated laughing.

„That's enough. We don't play with our food." The daddy-ghoul said and gave his son the knife.

„Aye, aye, Daddy-oh." was the answer, before the ghoul lifted his hand and threw it down again, the knife forcing into Deans biceps.

The Winchester yelled with pain. When the man in front of him started moving the knife in his arm, he started moaning. The ghoul kept laughing. For Dean's satisfaction, the ghoul did not laugh for long.

Suddenly, the creature stopped in motion and a sound escaped his throat, before he let go of the knife. The Winchester turned his head to see, that something silver-ish was stuck in the man's arm. It was Castiel's blade. He glanced to the angel.

Castiel was still in the flaming cage but that did not mean he could not throw something like his blade on the enemy. „I'm sorry." he said.

„I missed." Dean tried to smile. At least the angel had tried to do something to help him.

„That's it." Daddy-ghoul said, picking up the knife.

„Your little pet already killed enough of my family. You're gonna pay for this." he hissed, forcing the knife into Deans left side, right above his pelvic bone.

„Turn his head, so the angel can see him." The ghoul obeyed. Dean stared at the angel his face a painfully twisted grimace. The hunter held his breath when he felt the knife moving upwards, cutting deep through his flesh until he could not take it anymore and cried out, loud.

He could hear his brother scream his name like hell, the ghouls laughing but the angel just stood there, silent and staring at him, his chest moving up and down, fast, as if he was going to run a marathon.

Then, he felt another pain coming crawling through his body. One of the ghouls had started to chew on his upper leg. He could not see, but he did not want to, if he was honest. He just felt when a part of his muscles were ripped off his bone.

His voice grew louder until it was the only thing he heard. When he felt a dazzling pain in his shoulder he stopped screaming for a second. He choked and coughed up some blood.

Dean started to laugh. He remembered the time being in hell. The pain he had felt there. This was no match to what he had witnessed there.

A sound, like something breaking, echoed through the room. And indeed, something broke. The tall ghoul had smacked himself down on the eldest Winchester that the table broke.

Dean barely could feel anymore but he knew his ribs were broken. He kept staring at the angel. Was he imagining it, or did the angel's face look bloody fucking pissed?

Dean was not allowed to continue his thought, when he felt the burning pain in his shoulder once more. They had stabbed the knife right through his shoulder blade. Dean exhaled some air painfully.

„Hope ya lik' it, sonofabitch." somebody said, but he did not care. He was done he could not go any further. Dean coughed. Even breathing was painful now.

He would die soon!

Right when the ghoul was about to stab the long knife between Deans shoulder blades again, the door sprung open again, revealing nothing but an empty dark corridor. Interrupted by a sudden ghost like appearance the ghoul hesitated, looking back to his father, gaining approval to continue. He held the knife above his head when suddenly a loud gnarl appeared right next to him and his arm was ripped from its socket. Screaming and bleeding, he was torn apart with a loud wet ripping sound.

„What the hell is this?" the leader yelled backing off slowly, as another of his children was attacked by the air or something hidden in it.

Turning around, nearly stumbling over his own feet he tried to escape as he ran into someone, falling backwards and landing on his rear. Scowling upwards and ready to shout any kind of insult he stared at the man in the black suit.

„The exit is the other way." he stated in a quite polite manner and pointed into the other direction, where the last of the ghouls was slaughtered by the invisible creature. With a not so polite kick he threw the daddy-ghoul in that direction and earned a loud howl. The invisible creature finished its job and let the tattered body fall to the ground into a puddle of his own and his comrade's blood.

Smiling proudly, the man made a gesture towards the empty space and a few seconds later he started to stroke and pet the air.

„Who is a good hellhound? Yeah you are."

The Winchesters stared at the demon in disbelieve, Dean, on his part, a little bit weakened caused by the blood loss and weariness.

„Crowley?"Sam asked as if he did not know who was standing in front of them.

„Sometimes I feel like getting trapped by some idiots is some kind of your hobby!" he stated, his hands in his pockets and shaking his head in fury.

„I can't believe it! At times like this you still waste your time with useless trash like that." Sighing heavily he removed one hand from his trousers and flicked his fingers. The ropes fell off from the brothers and the knives vanished from Deans palms.

The badly injured Winchester laid still, hardly breathing on the remnants of the table. He was struggling to get up again, feeling the wounds hurting more since the torture started. It did not work out as his strength was leaving him.

Crowley, on his side, continued to stroke the head of the invisible hellhound. Sam headed towards Castiel's flaming cage.

Dean needed to be healed or he might not make it. He was about to extinguish the holy flames to free the medical angel when he froze, feeling a hot smelly breath in his face, followed by a low growl. He turned his gaze towards the owner of the hellhound with a panic-fuelled expression on his face.

„I would leave the cute little angel right where he is for now. We gotta talk." Crowley said with a cheerful smile on his face. Having an invisible personal lifeguard was the best way to stay alive in these crazy times, especially when nearly everyone wants to see you dead.

Castiel greeted the demon with an angry glare before he turned his attention to the bloody mess that remained of Michael's vessel.

Their savior took a few steps towards them, making the wet soaked carpet squelch under his shoes.

„Despicable! Disgusting! Nasty! Nothing in this world fits the way I feel while I have to spend my precious time in this vile place!" Keeping his monologue on, he waved his hands in various directions.

The demon placed two fingers against his temples and rubbing them, closing his eyes for a second to think of his next words. Sam made his way over to his brother and kneeled beside him, trying to help him sit up.

„C'mon Dean stay with me!" He panicked even more as his only response was a deep groan. „Sam... you." Dean said, coughing up some blood. The younger hunter held him closer. „Dean... Dean?"

„Sam... you're squeezing my damn...!" Dean managed to say before Sam dropped him to the floor again followed by a painful thud and a very sorry looking younger brother.

„If I may interrupt your brotherly love, the longer you ignore my presence, the longer Dean has to bleed all over the floor. Not that his blood wouldn't give this place a much more classic look." Crowley said as he appeared crouched down right next to Sam.

„Hey Dean, looking good with your chest ripped open. I could get used to that." he continued, winking to the weakening Winchester. Mumbling something like a 'shut up' under his breath Dean, at least, tried to stay awake while Sam tried to hold him up again, not pressing against his wounds too hard this time. Castiel tried to burn holes into the demons back with his eyes, failing, but he kept staring at him anyways.

„What do you want? Why are you here?" Sam left the main question 'Why the hell did he save them? ' out because he knew the reason already.

He needed them, always the main reason why they had survived so many encounters with powerful loathing creatures.

„That's a very good question boy!"

The crossroads demon returned and stood up again.

„You know, I've got some bad news that might screw up the whole plan of killing Lucifer and saving this pathetic little dirt ball from its extinction. Especially the whiskey." It seemed like Crowley was up to another long monologue and did not allow anyone to interrupt him.

„You know, I perked my ears a little and caught a few rumors. I wish I could pretend them as fiddlesticks but sadly it seems they are true nonetheless." He stopped walking across the room, bending down and picked up the angel blade, receiving another displeased look from the owner.

Toying around with the long blade he continued.

„The Colt, your Colt, will possibly do no harm towards Lucifer."

Sam simply stared at the demon. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again, not knowing what to say. He tried again. And failed!

„I know how that might sound, but as I said, Sam, it seems to be rumors only." Sam cleared his throat.

„You sure?" he asked, feeling sick in that very moment.

„Yes!" Crowley answered and stood up again.

„But since I can't see you heading towards Lucifer, not even trying at all, it wasn't too late to inform you. So no time wasted, right?" He threw the blade into Castiel's burning trap with a grin as the angel bowed down to retrieve it and placed it back into his coat, not even trying to attack the demon.

Crowley had no use for a blade like this. He was not dumb enough to start fighting angels. „Well, whatever. There might be another way to force the little devil back into his basket but..." He raised one finger up in the air „I have to gather more information about that theory. Meanwhile, I suggest you two do what you do best. I gotta visit an old friend of yours. Enjoy the rest of the night." With that, the demon was gone.

The younger Winchester stared a hole into the air where Crowley had been standing a second ago, until a moan brought him back to reality. _Dean, right_, he thought, laying his brother back down and hurrying over to the angel.

Sam grabbed the wet carpet and dragged it over to Castiel's fiery cage and extinguished the flames with an awful fizzing sound. When he looked up Castiel was already gone and over at Dean's side. The younger Winchester turned his head.

„Castiel, I'm gonna grab our stuff. Bring him into the car, when you're done. We gonna get outta here, as soon as possible!"

Castiel looked up to Sam for a split second, nodding slightly before he turned his attention towards the bleeding Winchester.

Dean seemed barely conscious at all in his current condition, but at least he was still breathing. Opposite to Sam's careful handling Castiel sat the moaning hunter in an upright position without minding his wounds.

He placed his hand on the hunter's shoulder where his hand had burned into his flesh once, leaving a non removable scar on his skin.

A warm pleasant feeling started to spread through Dean's body. Slowly opening his eyes and noticing the angel holding him up, Dean looked up, smiling wickedly. His eyes met the angel's.

„You know, you've got some damn blue eyes, Cas." Dean bubbled, blood still trickling down his chin, blood loss seemed to ruin his way of thinking.

„Stop talking." Castiel commanded, moving his hand downwards from the hunters shoulder, to his ribcage.

Receiving a painful exhale as he repaired the broken bones inside, causing the Winchester to cough up some more blood from his lungs.

In the same attempt the angel also healed the sore flesh which had been torn apart by the ghouls.

Reaching out for his left, sliced arm he ignored the painful sound dropping from Dean's lips. The pain would be gone soon so he had to deal with that for the moment.

He traced over the wound and run his hand down only to take the hunters hands in his own, while the broken tissues and bones healed.

Castiel stopped for a second, looking at the hands inside his own. He, sometimes, still forgot how weak humans actually were. Soon, he would be one of them.

Castiel tilted his head. He should have been more concerned with the fact becoming human but right now something else caught his attention. He never had looked at the Winchesters hands before and now he got the full close-up.

Apart from the fact, that the hunter's hands were all bloody and torn, Castiel noticed they were rough. Not like his hands, Jimmy's hands, Dean's were scarred by life, telling stories of various fights.

Castiel caught himself drifting off. He focused again to heal the Winchesters hands, moving to the next wound he had to take care of.

The healing procedure was nearly over and the hunter opened his eyes, feeling still weak but at least not close to death anymore. Since Dean was fully awake and regaining all his senses, it got harder to heal him.

Why did that guy struggle so much? Castiel moved his hand slowly but steady down over his side, following the deep cut above his pelvic bone, pressing down a little as he felt a hand grabbing him by his collar.

„Cas... this feels weird... stop it!"

He tried to sound commanding but failed all the way.

„I cannot do this, Dean. I'm not done yet." the angel answered, grabbing the hunters hand and pulling it down again.

Searching for any other proper damage he could have left out, he brushed his fingertips over the torn fabric of Dean's shirt, not even touching the broken skin underneath, only leaving warm healing spots here and there.

He could feel his breath catching up as the warm feeling continued to spread through his lower body. Feeling the burning cuts from that damn Chucky-Murder-Barbie-Doll attack vanish in the warmth.

He could not deny it, it felt good being healed, even if he remembered that normally Castiel could heal in an inch of an eye but maybe, he was too badly damaged, so he had to do it slowly?

_Yeah, that's the reason_, he thought while he closed his eyes a little.

Drifting off, while the angels hand kept moving further down, leaving his skin prickle wherever the holy medic touched it. As Castiel slid his hand over his thigh, to heal the bite wound Deans eyes jumped open.

That action caused him to jerk upwards when the pleasant feeling turned into an awkward sensation. It was quite obvious that the angel did not know what the hell his smooth touches were doing to the human's body.

„Holy fish sticks!" With a surprised yell Dean escaped Castiel's grip and rolled to the side. Since his leg was not completely healed, he was handicapped but he still tried to create some space between him and the angel.

Surprised at the sudden loss of the hunter's weight on him, Castiel stared confused at the stumbling, nearly crawling Winchester. He stood up and followed, ruining the small distance Dean had managed to get between them.

„I said, I'm not done yet, Dean. Why won't you listen to me?" he asked getting down beside him again, ready to touch his leg one more time, only to receive another but way weaker death glare.

„And I said don't you touch me like that ever again!" Yelling at the angel felt quite relieving.

For a split second he saw something in the eyes of Castiel, he could not figure out what exactly it had been but before he could even consider it long enough, it was gone already, replaced by the same dumb, confused and helplessly innocent expression the angel showed him every time they met.

„Dean, I was just..." he started to explain, calm as always when Dean managed to stand up, trying hard not to overstrain his still injured leg.

„Yeah, thanks for that. Just keep your magical hands to yourself from now on." he stated with an angry and painful snarl at the end, as he tried to walk towards the door.

_Shit, it's still bleeding like hell!_ He could feel the warm liquid run down his leg.

That ghoul seemed to have damaged a larger artery.

Stumbling forward, feeling his mind going dizzy again, he placed his properly healed hands against the wall, his back turned towards the angel.

He was about to turn to the door, knowing the way downstairs would be freaking awful, he felt a grasp on him and he was turned around and smashed against the wall behind him.

A mix of a painful and surprised yell left his mouth.

Placing both his hands next to Dean's head, the angel trapped him with his eyes.

„You didn't mind me touching you when I raised you from perdition." the angel said with a low voice, a few wild strains of hair fell over his eyes.

„Cas…"

Dean tried to move aside and out of the non-existent grip when Castiel smashed a hole into the wall next to the hunters head, making his point clear, that he should stay where he was. Without hesitation he moved his left hand down, placing it over the wound and holding a firm grip onto Dean's thigh.

Dean refused to hold still nonetheless. He wanted distance.

_Goddamnit!_ Bringing his own, fully healed, hands up and pushing the angel away from him, he yelled.

„I said stop this bullshit!" Castiel did not reply but was already approaching him again, his eyes lunged for something.

The hunter's mouth fell open slightly, as he grew aware of the rage that filled those blue eyes, which got closer to him once more.

He could not find a proper way to tell the angel to fuck off again and kept staring instead. Since when was Castiel, his angel, capable of such an expression?

Fury, madness and longing! Dean moved as much backwards as possible, pressing himself tighter against the wall, before the other man was right in front of him, again.

With a fast move Castiel kicked his knee hard against Dean's leg, nearly breaking the bones inside the still open wound, causing the man to burst out into a painful gasp.

He trembled to hold himself up with the rush of pain running through his body. Castiel stepped backwards, leaving him without any support on his injured leg and causing the Winchester to collapse onto the ground.

Fortunately, Castiel had not aimed for his other sensitive part but still he could see white stars dancing in front of his eyes.

„Cas... please..." Coughing and trying to breath the pain away, Dean tried to look up, facing the angel only to narrow his eyes, wondering.

Castiel's face held no anger or madness anymore, he just stared at him the same way he always did, a mix of confusion, sadness and curiosity.

That was the Castiel he knew. The angel lowered himself, kneeling next to the confused and a little frightened looking hunter. He stared straight into his eyes while he moved his hand roughly over Dean's thigh, finally healing it.

„Thanks, Cas..." His voice was only a whisper, lacking his sarcasm, left his mouth, while he kept staring at the angel in disbelieve.

Before he could continue wondering what the hell just happened he felt two fingers against his forehead and the world around him went black.

Sam rushed out of the room, down the stairs, heading towards their own room. He almost slipped on the carpet but was able to hold onto the railing. He took a deep breath and exhaled before he continued rushing down the floor.

At their room, the hunter almost blasted the door out of his hinges. A 'hoops' escaped his throat when the door crashed into the wall. The young hunter grabbed their bags and searched the room for something which belonged to them.

He found the key for the Impala on the table where Dean had left them. He grabbed them and hurried out of the room, out of the motel to his brothers 'precious baby'.

The young Winchester opened up the trunk, let the bag fall into it, before he closed it with a loud sound.

He moved to the offside door of the car, opened up and fell onto the leather-covered seat. Within the same move he got his cell out of his jacket and used the speed-dial mode to call Bobby. Before Sam could curse Bobby to answer his phone, he did so.

„Sam? Shouldn't you be sleepin' right now, boy?" the old man asked. Sam noticed he was not even close to bed, the way his old man sounded.

„Bad news, Bobby. We got screwed. Ghouls all over the place." Sam could hear the older man breathing.

„You okay? What happened?"

„We had this hunt..." Sam looked down at his watch. „Yesterday. Were lookin' for someplace to rest and there was this motel. They caught us, one after another, even Castiel. They..." Sam nearly fussing tried not to cry. He paused.

„You okay, Sam?" The man on the other end of the line sounded worried. „They'd hurt Dean. Wanted to... eat him." When Bobby did not answer, he asked „Bobby?" Sam pressed the phone tight against his ear. He could hear Bobby and somebody else. First, quiet but then Bobby's voice grew louder.

„Sam, you still there?" the old hunter asked. „Yeah, what's going on Bobby. Who's there with you?" Bobby grumbled.

„Crowley." He could hear the demons voice saying something like 'how're they doing'.

Bobby cursed the demon before he turned his attention back to Sam.

„Is Dean okay, Sam? Where is he? Is he with you?" The old man was close to being furious. Sam could hear that, so he said „Yeah, Castiel is taking care of him. Putting him back together." A sigh of relieve.

„Bobby, Crowley said, the Colt would probably not kill Lucifer. Is that true?" Again, silence for some time. Then, he heard the hunter's voice.

„I'm gonna have a nice chat with Mr. Sunshine over here. You get outta there, call me, when you're someplace safe."

Sam nodded, forgetting, Bobby could not see it.

„Sam, are you okay? Don't worry, Castiel surely will patch your brother together." he continued and Sam did feel a little better, hearing his friend say something like that.

„Great the little angel from me!" Crowley seemed quiet closer to the phone and obviously, closer to Bobby himself. Hearing a loud growl, followed by a few shots and a painful scream, Bobby continued: „Call me back as soon as possible. I gotta be busy for a while."

„Sure Bobby, but..." He was cut off when the older man hung up, leaving Sam alone with his question and the endless silence on the other end. Sighing heavy he tossed the mobile onto the keyboard and sunk into the seat.

The younger Winchester got startled for a second as Castiel opened the backdoor of the car and nearly threw the unconscious older brother onto the backseat. Smashing the door shut right away.

„What happened..." He could not even finish his question as the angel was gone right away. Today was apparently the day to cut off Sam Winchester every time possible.

Did he just imagined it or did he see anger burning inside Castiel's face?

_Whatever._ Right now he could not bother about the angel and turned around to inspect Dean's condition.

He had no visible marks or wounds left just his clothes were stained with dried blood and dirt. They could change them later, first they had to leave this place before anyone else was showing up. Sam drove the Impala back on the Road trying to enhance the space between them and that gross motel.

Next stopp: Danville.

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><p><strong>Hope you did enjoy this chapter as much as we did writting it.<strong>

**The chapter...will be shorter but pretty much only contain Dean and Castiel. Time for a break.**

**Stay tuned!**


	3. Have a break

**Updated Version  
><strong>

**So as we go further with the story, Castiel seems to have some „issues" and Dean is rather not in the mood to deal with any of that. **

**Whatever insert some pain but also fluff here.**

**Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>3. Have a break <strong>

Have a chit-chat.

Feeling the ground under him shaking Dean woke up, opening his eyes and staring at the leather seat in front of him.

His eyes widening, he sat up grabbing the seat in front of him and recognizing his brother driving the car.

„Sammy, where... how long?" Holding his head he felt an ache coming up from inside, slowly making its way to the front and spreading around his temples.

„A few hours." Sam said, looking back once before he kept concentrating on the road.

„I wanted to ask you the same. What happened up there? Castiel seemed pretty upset. Didn't you thank him properly afterwards?" he chuckled, teasing his brother a bit to help him get alive.

„Shut up."

The older Winchester just rubbed his forehead, tried to focus and to remember what exactly had happened.

Dean closed his eyes as if it would help to remember. And it actually did. He remembered the room and Castiel, where this damned angel tried to massage him. Then, the voices and the shots! Sam! He went to look after his baby brother.

Then, there were those ghouls. Dean moaned, a little lost in his thoughts. They had tortured and tried to eat him.

No, they actually succeeded in doing so. Dean remembered the pain very well and he remembered Sam, tied to that freaking chair and Castiel.

The angel had tried to help him but unfortunately, they managed to catch him as well. The Winchester shook his head. Crowley. He remembered the demon appearing to their rescue.

And then, there was Castiel... healing him.

„Holy chicken wings, that bastard!"

Dean sat up straight as his memory was fully recovered. Sam peeked into the rearview watching his brother freak out.

„Are you going to tell me what's been going on between you two or do I have to picture it in my head?" He tried to focus on the street, but was way too curious to stop asking now. Angry mumbling and cussing was all he got from his brother who kind of managed to squash himself onto the front seat. It had been a long time he sat there and he disliked it.

„Stop the damn car." Alright, cursing his car was a bad sign, Sam decided.

„Dean, c'mon just tell me. I'm your brother, right? You can talk to me." Not even trying to hide his curiosity this time, Sam continued.

„I left both of you for... 5 or 10 minutes, so what the hell has gotten into both of you?"

„Sammy, I won't repeat myself. Stop the car and we'll switch positions. If I feel the need to share my experience with that kinky angel with you, I will bring it up myself!" Sam glanced over to his brother before he slammed into the brakes.

Not caring about Dean, who had not fastened his seatbelt. He almost hit the dashboard, glaring at his brother.

„Sam..." he just said, hissing. The younger Winchester turned completely to his brother.

„No, Dean. You're gonna tell me what is friggin' goin' on, or I swear, I'll walk the rest of the way!" One car passed their Impala, pressing the horn and presenting the finger outside the window. Sam had stopped directly on the lane without caring about other cars on the highway. He was obviously pissed, Dean could tell.

„Sammy..." Dean started, but shut his mouth again. Sam pierced him with his eyes daring him to speak and explain.

„There is nothing goin' on with Castiel and me. We're just... I dunno." Dean sighed. He really did not know what actually was going on. So, how was he supposed to tell Sam? The Winchester could feel his brother's eyes on him.

„Look, I really don't know, but what I know is that yesterday was a very, very, very bad day for me and I don't wanna talk about it, okay, Sammy? And could you please stop staring like that, I'm not gonna sleep with you." Sam rolled his eyes.

„Jerk!"

„Bitch."

And with this, both Winchesters got off the car, swapping sides.

They remained silent for a while as they passed several villages and cities. Dean turned on the radio to cheer their mood up a bit but instead of an upbeat sound he got nothing more than news and more news. About to turn the radio off and replacing one of his music tapes, Sam interrupted him: „Wait, listen!"

„_...it seems the tragedy continues. By now 5 young girls and 6 young men have disappeared without a trace. The Danville police __have announced a curfew for all younger citizens. It is possible that the crime will repeat itself. The Denver Broncos made a good start this season..."_

Dean's eyes traveled to Sam who returned the look.

„Sounds like a new job to me."

„Yepp, definitely." Sam opened his bag and retrieved his laptop, starting the investigation immediately. The older Winchester just shook his head and changed the lanes.

Heading towards the closest exit signing „Champaign – Danville".

Driving the Impala onto the parking lot of the Hotel 'Danville Sycamore Inn', Dean finally noticed the return of his exhaustion. He had slept like one or possibly two hours on the backseat but that was still not enough.

Not at all! When they arrived at the hotel it was already dawn and the mid-aged woman at the reception yawned slightly.

„Good morning, dears. How're you? Driving all night I assume?" she asked and turned her back to the two men.

„Yes Ma'am. We did have indeed a very long night. Do you have a room for my brother and me?" Sam was as polite as always when he spoke. Dean was way too tired to say anything, his brother knew that.

„Sure thing, little one." The woman said, turning around again with two keys in her hand. „Unfortunately, I don't have two bed rooms vacant, I hope this is no problem?" Sam took the keys and smiled.

„No Ma'am. Thank you Ma'am." The elderly woman smiled warmly.

„Marla." Sam nodded and got his wallet out.

„Don't worry boy, do that when you're better." she said. The younger Winchester nodded again before he and his brother left.

Sam pressed Dean one of the keys into his palm.

„Here you go, buddy. I'm next door! Get some sleep."

Dean's throat escaped something like a growl. He opened the door and shut it again, as soon as he entered the room. He pressed his back against the door, his hands running over his face. The eldest Winchester was tired but there was something he had to settle before sleeping like a baby.

Dean looked up at the ceiling „Cas... move your damn ass down here, ASAP. We gotta talk!"

A fluttering sound echoed through the room and Castiel was there, standing in front of the hunter. His face without any sign of emotion!

His head tilted to one side, staring at him, a very familiar sight to Dean

.

„Hello, Dean." the angel said in his Castiel-ish manner.

Neither of them moved for a second until Castiel made one step forward.

„Don't! Stay right where you are!" Dean said, raising one hand to indicate the angel to not come any closer.

His reward was an even more confused looking Castiel who stopped his movement. At least he listened to him and followed his plea, for now. A relieved sigh escaped the hunters lips and he prepared himself for the upcoming speech he was about to give.

„Castiel, I... I guess we may have a few issues we should sort out before we continue to work together." he started, optimistic that everything they had run across the last few days would have been a huge misunderstanding. Castiel stood at his ordered place, not moving and kept staring at the other man.

_Good, the further away the saver for me_, Dean thought, managing to throw a smile at the angel.

„Look, let's just pretend nothing happened at all and we can go on as we did before. How does that sound, dude? You gotta agree this can't go on that way, right?" To his surprise the angel in front of him did not respond but instead vanished into thin air again.

Taking a few steps into the middle of the room he ruffled through his hair.

„Oh c'mon you damn bastard! I'm not done talking yet!" he cursed into the air as he felt a presence right behind him.

„I'm here, Dean."

Shuddering at the sudden loss of his personal space, once again, he made a few fast steps forward, nearly jumping like a fairy from flower to flower, turning around to face the angel. He did not like the thought anymore to have Castiel creeping behind his back.

Bad memories!

„Go on." Castiel said but Dean could feel the stress in his voice. Did he really just commanded him?

„Uh... uhm. I think you don't get my point at all!" What was he doing? Being afraid of that little angel in front of him? He was supposed to be Dean Winchester and he would not just stand here, afraid like a little girl in front of Santa Claus.

„Cas, it's probably not your fault at all. You're not used to act with people but as I said, repeating myself over and over again, I don't appreciate it, when you get so close to me. Got me over there, birdie?"

Narrowing his eyes, Castiel remained silent, thinking about what Dean had just said.

„But Dean, when I see you and your brother, you don't seem to have any kind of hesitation touching him." Castiel deadpanned. He was talking like an emotionless robot.

„I watched you touching Bobby too and I saw you touching yourself. I don't understand why you refuse to be touched by me." He couldn't believe what Castiel was saying, at first he thought it sounded cute that he seemed to be jealous about his family bond but when he talked about watching him, a shiver ran down his spine and he felt his face getting hotter.

He was obviously close to burst out screaming even though he did not want to admit it.

„Did you have heard anything about privacy? Is that some kind of kick for you angels? To watch people do all their stuff, hell, even when we sleep, fuck or eat? What's so freakin' interesting in watching me doing all this?" He wished he had some kind of glass or bottle to throw right now but instead he had to bring his anger and embarrassment out by clenching his fists until the knuckles turned white.

Dean wanted to hurt, break, or damage but the only thing that was nearby was the still innocent and curious looking angel.

_That damn angel_. Since god was nowhere to be found, Castiel was around him every day as it seemed.

He could not remember since when his presence made him feel so uncomfortable. Before Dean could continue his thought, the angel moved forward, gripping the hunter's upper arm.

„Watch your voice, Dean. I may be patient but everything has an end. Even my patience."

There it was again. The same expression Dean had seen in the angels face when he was healing him. The hunters gaze moved towards Castiel's eyes.

They were still blue, but furious as well. He could almost feel how the angel was fighting inside to not lose control.

„Let go of me, Castiel." Dean hissed. His voice was rough but the angel did not make a move. „I am not you servant, Dean! Do not forget this. I am not your personal footman. I am an angel of the Lord and not your special toy." Castiel's voice was low and threatening.

„Really? Then why do you keep beein'around all the time?" Castiel pressed his fingers deep into Dean's biceps.

„Because, certain people call me every time they need help. Besides, I am not longer welcome in Heaven, you might have forgotten about that!" With this, he let go of the eldest Winchester regaining control over his emotions.

Dean was pissed.

Why the hell was this angel behaving so differently, at some occasions almost daring? Sometimes, he thought Castiel did that on purpose. And now the angel said those things. Yes, Dean Winchester was pissed in every way he could imagine.

When Castiel had told him that he should not see him as something oh-so-special, Dean snapped. He drew his colt and pointed the barrel at the angels face. He unlocked the safety switch and growled.

„I always wondered what would happen, if I put a bullet straight through your head." For a moment, there was an awkward silence between the hunter and the angel. Castiel did not respond. He kept staring at Dean.

„Open your mouth." he commanded and surprisingly, Castiel did as he was told. Dean made one step forward, sliding the end of the barrel into the angel's mouth. The hunter was uncertain.

Why did the angel obey? Why did he do everything he said? Dean pulled a face. Why did Castiel not make a move, he possibly, no, certainly, could have made him stop by smashing him into the wall or something similar.

Dean sighed. What was he doing here? It was Castiel he was threatening. His friend!

Dean felt his anger and rage turn into disgust. He withdrew the gun from Castiel's mouth, whipping of the small amount of saliva on his jacket and put it back into the holster. Dean sighed and turned around.

„You seem to bring up the worst part of me." was all he could come up with. Dean's thoughts were rushing in circles in his head, but once again he was interrupted by the feeling of Castiel's hand on his shoulder.

What else could it have been? Dean closed his eyes, not trying to escape the touch this time. Turning his head around to catch a glimpse of Castiel's face, his eyes widened at the sight behind him.

„Dear god, not again..." he uttered, before the angel smashed him forth. Luckily, he fell right on the bed instead of on the hard floor.

No time for being confused, he turned around to see the well known, long angel blade in Castiel's hand.

„Cas, c'mon, I got your point. It's okay really just... stop this." Ignoring Dean's pleas, the angel tightened his grip on the blade.

„I will show you what you would be without me."

Lowering himself over the Winchester, whose eyes widened as he noticed the lack of sanity in Castiel's face.

„Cas!" he shouted, trying to break through to the man he knew who was somewhere inside that thing that heaved his arm over his head. With a swift move, Castiel jammed the holy blade down into Dean's right hand tearing flesh and parting his skin.

He felt the sudden rush of adrenaline flowing through his veins. This could not be happening again! Dean opened his mouth but only a muffled little cry was to be heard as Castiel placed his other hand roughly onto the Winchesters mouth, to deafen his screams.

„Shhh."

He brought his face closer and grinned slightly. _This is just a bad dream, I will wake up soon curled into stainless sheets and I will hear Sammy snoring from the other side_, Dean thought, closing his eyes to ban that weird look on his 'friends' face from his sight.

„You don't understand, Dean. I want you to understand and listen to me. I want you to..." What else did he want? What was he longing for in the first place? The Winchesters respond was only a muffled growl into Castiel's hand, which turned into a painful, also muffled scream as the blade was first twisted around, making the wound ooze blood even more, removing it slowly, tearing some more tissue apart.

Before he even had the chance to recover and take control over the pain, a new one was added to his discomfort. The angel slammed the blade down again into Dean's right palm, nailing it to the bed, like it had been to the table by the ghouls.

Castiel let go of the blade and stared absently straight forward.

„You need me." he said, his fury drifted away and was replaced by a doubtful expression.

„When you need assistance, you call for me. You keep calling for me but you never ask me... to stay." Castiel slowly moved his hand from Deans mouth, letting him breathe and gasp painfully. The blade was still jabbed into his flesh.

The human moved a little and even tried to retreat the damn blade himself, when his actions caught the thinking angel's attention.

He tilted his head and stared at his own blade, which was the main cause of Dean's pain, it felt worse than this damn ghoul's knives.

With a jolt he grabbed the blade and removed it from Dean's palm, followed by a low groan from the Winchesters throat.

Dropping the blade next to the bed the angel placed his hand over the bleeding wound immediately, mumbling silent, little prayers to himself, healing the damage he had caused moments ago, his hands wandered over the hunters torn palm. He touched the wound as careful as possible.

„My apologies. I did not want to do that." The angel's voice was quiet and Dean had to concentrate to understand, what Castiel was saying. He healed Dean's right palm. Castiel dropped his head.

„Dean, I really owe you an apology. My actions were..." Castiel was interrupted by Dean punching him into the face, what he immediately regretted, since it felt like punching stone.

„Shit."

Dean shook his hand, exhaling painfully. Castiel turned his head back to look at the Winchester, grabbing his hand softly.

„I made you angry. I am sorry." he said, making the pain in Deans hand vanish. The eldest Winchester was not able to say anything. He was clearly shocked. Captured between a mix of pity, hate, anger and something else unfamiliar, he could not decide what to do with Castiel, not right now.

And here it was again, one of those awkward moments of silence which apparently could not be avoided.

„I will leave you to rest now." the angel said, getting up from the bed, bending down to pick up his blade.

„Stay."

Before he knew what he was doing, Dean grasped for the angels trench coat. It was like a reflex.

„Stay." he repeated, as if it would be some kind of spell which would make the angel be as he always had been. Castiel, on the other hand, looked down at the Winchester, curious. Dean let go of the fabric and patted on the white sheet of the bed.

„Come'ere."

Dean moved a little to the other side that Castiel had enough space to lie down. The angel hesitated, once more Dean gave orders in a confusing way but staying was the only thing he could think about.

Standing around on the highway, the whole night watching stars and passing cars could be nice once or twice, but not for weeks and certainly not for months.

Lying down on his back right next to the Winchester, he stared at the ceiling.

„Turn over Cas, this bed isn't supposed to hold two people. Lay on your side." Dean tried to not use a commanding tone and watched as the other did as he was told, turning his back towards him.

„If I find your face staring at me when I wake up I swear I'll punch it!" _Even if it hurts me more than you_, he thought, moving as far to the edge of the bed as possible.

Dean pulled the sheets closer to himself, his back turned towards the angel, reaching out for the bedside lamp and turning it off.

When he realized that turning his back to the angel was a bad idea, he turned around, only to stare into the darkness but clearly could make out Castiel's back. This way he would be able to keep an eye on the stressed angel.

Making sure he stayed right where he was could be probably the best way to make him stop his awkward appearances.

While he thought about what the hell just had happened and why a damn angel of the so called Lord was lying on the other side of the bed, which was a huge enigma, he felt his eyes fall shut.

Too exhausted from lack of sleep and two days torture!

Next day would do too, to kick some feathery ass.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter, Dean gets a 'nice' wake up call<strong>  
><strong>Stay tuned!<strong>


	4. What a maze!

****Updated Version  
><strong>**

****Virgin you said?****

****Welcome back for those who follow this ‚little' story!****

**This chapter is...filled with...no blood, no torture but who needs physical pain when you can suffer from your own thoughts and feelings?**

**Enjoy**

* * *

><p><strong>4. What a maze<strong>

If you get lost, just start over.

Sam knocked at the door, hoping, Dean would be awake already. He tried the door handle and noticed that the door was not even locked at all.

"Dean? Dean, are you alright?" Moving his head in slowly, he noticed the little blood puddle on the ground next to an angels blade. Turning his attention to the bed, his mouth fell open wide at the sight that met his eyes.

Dean was not alone anymore. How the hell did he get himself a girl so fast in such a religious town? He slid inside, closing the door behind him. His feet led his way over to the bed where he could see them.

Pausing in his movement, he noticed that the sheets were moving.

Now as he got closer he noticed the most important thing, his brother was lying on his side, arms wrapped loosely around the visitor.

Sam was about to turn around and leave his brother alone, but when he noticed a familiar brown fabric showing under the sheets he could not prevent himself from laughing out loud, causing his brother to jump from unconsciousness into consciousness.

"What... where. Who?" Dean shouted, turning his head around a few times before he let it fall onto his pillow again. First, he closed his eyes again, but opening one to glare over at the person who woke him up.

"Sammy... what're 'u d'ing in here?" Mumbling into the pillow Dean's one open eye was slightly falling shut again.

"Giving you the morning call, sleepy princess or should I say prince?"

_What the hell was is this man talking about?_ Nodding towards the other person in Dean's bed, Sam continued.

"What's he doing here anyway?" Sam asked, trying to hide a huge grin by biting his lips in the process, but failing completely.

"Uh... what do you mean?" Dean was still sleepy and did not notice the body that was lying close to him yet. Running his fingers through his hair and yawning, he moved himself up a bit as he brushed against the body of the seemingly still sleeping person.

"Whoaoh, Jesus Christ!" Dean threw his arms up in the air, trying not to touch anything that belonged to the unmoving angel.

"I thought angels do not sleep?" Sam asked curious watching the ridiculous behavior of his brother, acting like Castiel was some kind of hot coal.

"I... I dunno Sam, lately I have no idea what else angels do and what they don't."

The older Winchester tried to move off the bed without causing too much irritation. Getting out of bed looking over to his brother, he said "He better is sleeping otherwise I won't show any mercy!" He kept pulling on the sheets and tried to find any sign of awareness from the still sleeping angel.

"Oh! C'mon Dean! He didn't bite ya did he?" He felt like Dean was overreacting once more.

"No! He did worse!" Immediately, after he said that he felt like he should have kept his mouth shut.

"Yay? So... like what did he do then?"

"I stabbed him."

The voice came from somewhere underneath the sheets, where Castiel had laid before but right away, he was standing on the other side of the bed, his hair looking even messier than ever before.

Sam could not believe what the angel had said.

From sheer force of habit he started laughing, thinking that Castiel had started making jokes, but when he looked over to his brother he realized how serious this situation was.

"You serious?" he asked the angel who only responded with a simple "Yes." From that moment, Sam was more than just confused but at least the bloody mess on the ground was explained and now he was standing between his brother and the innocent looking angel.

"Why this distance all of a sudden?" Dean raised an eyebrow.

"You're angry. That's why I'm staying over here but I don't think I deserve your anger right now." was the simple answer the hunter got from the floor facing angel. So, he was awake the whole time after all?

"You really think you don't?" The older Winchester had to control himself from jumping over the bed and smashing Castiel's figure into the ground. At least this time, his mind succeeded over his actions and he just kept staring in disbelieve at the not even concerned looking angel.

"You invited me to stay."

"You did?" Sam interfered with a surprised yell, grinning immediately as he heard that and grinned even more as he saw Dean's reaction. Pointing towards Castiel, he spoke up again.

"I _did _say you could stay! I never mentioned any snuggly-cuddly-action!" he hissed, furiously pointing towards the angel.

"I did nothing else than staying. Actually, you moved a lot the whole night." Castiel's head turned towards the bed and back up towards Dean, still not knowing why the other man was upset again.

"Alright that's it, next time you stay we order separate beds or simply: the couch!"

"That sounds like he's breaking up with ya, Cas." The younger Winchester tried hard not to laugh out loud, finding this all way more ridiculously funny than odd.

"Shut up Sam"

Still chuckling, Sam cleared his throat.

"So are we up for some breakfast with fresh apple juice and another two missing people?" he asked.

"Yeah, whatever! You. Two. Out. Now!" Before neither of them could say any more, Dean had thrown his brother and the angel out of the room. For bathroom purposes, so he said, if not more...

Not even 15 minutes later, they were sitting in a little diner next to the motel.

While Dean was busy and Castiel apparently not willing to talk to him, the young Winchester had left to pay the bill for their stay, had a little chat with Marla and came back shortly after. Now, Dean was devouring his apple pie and drinking coffee.

Sam, on the other hand, was staring at his brother and the angel sitting next to him alternately. He figured it may be better not putting both men on one side of the same table.

And he was right.

Already after they had ordered, Dean started glaring at the angel. Castiel did not even seem to care much about that, he just stared back.

Sam sighed, knowing this would not end as soon as he wished it would.

"Soo, you guys wanna talk about it, or not?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Or not." Dean said low. Sam rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, Dean. Why did Castiel stab you? He wouldn't do it without a reason, would he?"

"So if there was a reason it would be alright or what are you trying to say, Sam?" His anger grew again but this time caused by his brother who just could not stop asking stupid questions, not even facing Sam but instead, still looking straight into the angels eyes, as if they had an ongoing staring contest.

Castiel, who was not blinking at all, was obviously winning.

"Alright, if that's the case, just listen." Sam moved his sandwich aside and unfolded the newspaper.

"Since last Friday, 6 young girls and 5 men have disappeared. The police have no evidence and no suspect yet. All they know is that the crime is always committed at night and that the victims had been on their way home from college. They couldn't recreate yet what has happened. It's said that the serial killer from 9 years ago maybe has returned to finish the job." Folding the paper and placing it on the table Sam took out his computer. Turning the screen around so Dean could see.

First, the oldest Winchester ignored it, still facing the angel but then moved his eyes slightly, focusing on the pictures and information Sam had obviously gathered all night long.

"Anything all of these students have in common?" Dean turned his face back towards the angel and staring at an empty seat in front of him, twitching and hitting the table with his food at the notice, that he obviously should not have turned his attention from the angel at all.

Sam was moving into the middle of the seat, taking the place for himself and continued, used to the sudden leave of the unpredictable angel and not even bothering at all.

"The missing people were all pretty religious but that's nothing special, this whole place is built on religion. There's even a club for youngsters, teenagers and young adults called '_Abstinence and Humility: Take the future in your hand_'. It's founded by Pastor L. Rickbee, responsible for nearly everything even the festivals over here." Dean made a displeased face when he heard about 'Abstinence and Humility' and took a sip of his coffee, exhaling the air with a pleased sigh.

"Alright, let's pay him a visit shall we?"

Sam closed his laptop and looked up to his brother, who stood up, laid money on the table and was about to head out.

"For what reason?"

Dean turned around with a knowing grin on his face.

"Well, that Rickbee might tell us something about his lambs or maybe even point us towards the evil that has taken these poor bastards." Sam made a turtle face, grabbing his stuff and they left the diner, heading towards the church of the city.

Dean drove the Impala toward their destination not in the mood for small talk. Too busy thinking where that little chicken wing had left to. Great, he was starting to think about Castiel and food alike, that could not work out.

Not at all! As they got closer to the huge building, which was positioned in the east of the city, a great amount of people and greatly decorated floats came in sight. They passed a large banner which stated '_Maze festival_'.

As the church got more and more into view, the Winchesters noticed a huge wall of trees flanking the building.

Dean stopped the car and Sam let his eyes travel over the 9 feet tall plants, conifers actually, which were cut into shape and placed in long rows.

Near the large door of the building was the only entrance into the maze, it looked like the sunlight was swallowed by the huge trees, creating one long shadow on the ground.

"Does this look like a normal enjoyable, peaceful church garden to you?"

"Not really." Sam replied checking his tie one last time before getting off. His brother did the same, except the tie-checking. Dean stretched a little when he closed the door.

Both men walked over to the giant door bypassing some stalls and people busy preparing and organizing things.

"Guess we're at the right place at the right time." Dean said. His brother shrugged. "Whatever." The older Winchester looked up, raising one eyebrow.

_What a strange behavior._ Dean shook his head.

When they noticed a man in black clothes, they hurried over.

"Excuse me." Sam said and the elderly man, indeed a Pastor, turned around. "Welcome my sons. What can I do for you? You are not from here, are you?"

"No, FBI." Sam and Dean showed their gold shields.

"Agent Dee and Illsley, we would like to talk to Mr. Lawrence Rickbee." The man nodded smiling.

"I am Lawrence Rickbee. What can I do for you?"

"We are currently investigating the case of the disappeared girls and boys. Can you tell us anything about it?" Dean asked, raising his eyebrows a little.

The smile on Lawrence Rickbees face vanished, instead a sad look showed up.

"How could I not? I mean, we are a town with the lowest criminal cases in this county. We even have been awarded for that." Sam and his brother exchanged looks.

"Apparently, there is somebody who likes to strike every nine years, though. This has happened before, right?" The Pastor nodded.

"Yes, and it is terrific. Especially, now while we are preparing everything for the festival."

"Soo..." Sam started, waiting for the Pastor to answer his question.

"Nine years ago, 14 people went missing, and now it starts all over again." He shrugged. "They were good kids. Going to church every Sunday. Good in school. Never did something wrong." Rickbee sighed.

"Whoever did this shall be punished by god."

"Of course." Dean said, hiding a smile, knowing, god would not move a single finger to do anything about this case.

"Excuse us, then." With this, the brothers turned around and left the man behind.

"This guy is more concerned about his little town than about the victims. What a douche bag." Dean whispered, going somewhere offside, that nobody could hear them.

"This guy was of no help. We should get started questioning the family members. Let's see if this is more helpful."

After three hours of questioning, whining and crying mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, Dean practically fell into the seat of his beloved Impala.

He started the engine and drove backwards onto the street, heading back to their nice, no, wonderful motel.

"I can't believe somebody could cry so much! I mean, you have to admit, that was just..." Dean shook his head while Sam started laughing.

"Dean, their kids got kidnapped and probably killed, what would you do?" Dean glanced over to the younger Winchester.

"Okay, let me rephrase that sentence." he said, before Dean could say anything but then he shook his head.

"Just forget it." Sam continued. He knew how his brother was. He would have gone after the creature or man and started shooting before asking questions. The young hunter smiled. Family always came first for Dean Winchester, and he was glad about that fact.

"Sammy, I'm hungry, fancy some food and a drink?"

His brother was good in changing topics and Sam let him do so. At least for now, they could think about themselves before playing heroes again. Sam smiled. Even superheroes needed some breaks.

Back at their motel, they headed towards the diner, immediately. Taking a seat, they grabbed the menu. Dean started smiling.

"Wohoo, listen to that, Sammy. Auntie Agathe's most delicious apple pie! Have a try and you will never want to eat anything else." Sam started laughing. He did that quite often, today.

The brothers waited until one of the, in Deans opinion, hot looking waitresses approached their table. Smiling, she asked politely.

"Hello, what can I get for you strong men?" Dean's smile grew to double the size it was before. "One of your delicious apple pies, burger with bacon and coffee, black, for me..." the older Winchester started.

"And some crispy Caesar salad with dressing and herbal tea for me, please." Sam continued. The waitress wrote everything down and smiled at the younger brother.

"Anything else you want?" He shook his head and the waitress left, without looking at Dean. He in turn, made a face.

"Since when do the chicks prefer you?" he asked smiling.

"Guess I don't have a smile saying: I get you laid in 3 seconds." Sam replied. His brother just shrugged.

"So, what? I need some fun every now and then."

"Well, if I remember correctly, you've got Castiel for that." Sam's smile was huge and it grew even larger when his brother's cheeks turned bright red. He kept poking in the wound.

"Oh please, Cas, stay..." Sam could not help but laugh out loudly. His brother's face was just gorgeous. How he tried to hide behind his well-known poker face.

They kept teasing each other until the waitress returned.

From the moment she had put the plate in front of Dean, he started annihilating the burger with its bacon. Sam in turn was at least in control over his actions until the waitress had left, after that, he started killing his salad as well.

They simply had not eaten anything the past days and their job required a huge amount of food intake. At least for Dean!

"Oh god, Sammy, you have no idea what you're missin'!" Licking his fingers while devouring even the last tiny bit of the burger, he turned towards the promising apple pie and started to torture it with his fork.

"This feels like sex in my mouth!" he continued, grinning all over and speaking mouth full but being happy at least. Sam killed his salad.

The need to control his eating behavior was strong but the nice cent of the pie was getting over to him. Minutes later, he killed his own piece of pie. They finally finished but the older Winchester was not satisfied yet and ordered another piece.

Who knew when they had another chance to spend some free time just to sit and eat like this? Sam was already back, focusing on their mission. He placed the dishes aside and took out his computer.

"So you said two girls went missing last night? Hell that makes seven in one week. Makes a nice group of 13 people disappearing without anybody noticing." Dean could smell the freshly baked apple pie getting closer each second, the missing people not really getting on his need to taste that so promisingly delicious treat again.

„Hey, check this out: nine years ago 14 people went missing, not even leaving a single trace. The only similarity between the victims was that they were al virgins."

„Yeah, we know that already, so what?" Dean was still annoyed but kept telling himself that this mission would make it better.

„It's the day! These people went missing on the exact same day. It started last Friday and if I compare those dates, the last one will be gone in two days. If we can't figure out who's takin' them, we gotta wait 9 years. Actually, this place will probably not even exist anymore in that time anyway." Sam said, looking back down on his computer.

„What do you mean by that?" his older brother asked, knowing exactly what Sam meant but could not believe he had said it out loud.

"If Lucifer and Michael fight, this place won't exist anymore and neither will we, so, if we can't figure it out, whatever." As he was about to continue typing into his laptop, Dean slammed it shut and threw his brother an angry glance.

„Don't say it like it already happened. Don't say it like any of us will say 'yes' to either of those angels! We talked about it Sammy and I won't let it happen, I rather kill myself or I'll kill you."

„And we'll be brought back to life since we're the only vessels they can fit in. I know. I don't think they will wait that longer. Maybe we should just quit here and... drive to Disney World or something?" Sam removed Dean's hand and opened his laptop again.

_Why, just why, does everybody feel the need to die_ _today_, Dean asked himself angrily and shot Sam another death glare.

Mentioning Disney World did not really brighten his mood but he just let out a heavy sigh and felt this conversation would not get them anywhere. Sam was obviously right, but it was way too hard for him to admit that.

"When we're done with this job, we might do that. For now, focus on this virgin eating thing we have no clue about what it exactly is." Feeling his hunger faint he poked the rest of his pie but gobbled it up anyway.

"If you insist, maybe we should take a look inside that garden of the church. It's not official but some of the parents said their children were on their way home from the club, which is located at the church. That huge maze just screams for anything to hide inside." the younger Winchester said, like the earlier topic had not even existed.

They decided to visit the maze at night time when the place was not that crowded. As they entered the maze they switched on their flashlights. Sam was busy holding up the map of the garden, so they would not get lost in it.

Moving slowly, bending down here and there to inspect the ground, they got closer to a three-ways-possible part of the maze.

Sam looked at his brother in silence, they nodded and separated, making the search go easier and faster. Time passed by but without any result or trace of whatever had taken all those people away.

Growling in annoyance, Dean kicked one of the conifers creating a chain-reaction which caused the whole row to shake.

"Dean?" Sam's voice was hearable from behind the trees.

"Yes Sam?"

"I think we have a huge problem and with huge I mean enormous!" his brother replied shortly after.

Dean tried to push the plants out of his sight and made his way through the conifers, getting himself covered in branches, scratches and spider webs. Brushing away the mess he searched for Sam, as he noticed his brother kneeling down next to some huge footprints.

"It seems the Pastor has gotten lazy here!" he stated, pointing towards the hollows in the ground in this dead end and moving the light over the freshly raked ground a few feet away.

Dean narrowed his eyes.

"So I was right, he cares more for the image than the people themselves." he said in disgust.

"A maze, virgins, 9 years and giant footprints, does that ring a bell?" Sam stood up from the ground, his question earning him a simple shrug.

"Oh Dean, really? Minos' labyrinth? The virgin eating minotaur? Did you oversleep this in school, again?" he continued, already trying to remember what exactly the story told about how the beast was killed in the end.

He needed to look that up as soon as they got out of the maze, searching for the map in his pockets.

He froze a little when he felt nothing but emptiness inside them.

A spark of hope in his eyes as his eyes met with his brothers, he asked.

"You've brought the map I handed you before with you, right?" Dean opened his mouth, trying to spit out any acceptable reason, why he had _not _done so, closing his mouth and smiling sheepishly.

"It's just a little maze. We just walk the way we came! It's a piece of cake!" Dean said turning around to make the first step into a one hour lasting walk to find the exit.

Sam sighed again.

"I've told you this was the wrong way." he said, facing another dead end. His brother rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well, whatever. Do it better, bitch!" he barked, receiving a 'jerk' from his brother who went the opposite direction. Shortly after turning a couple of times right and left, they ended up in another dead end. Sam could almost feel the smile of his brother behind him. He moved his hand through his hair and turned around.

"Okay, say it!" Sam hissed, eyeing his brother. But he simply made a face looking as innocent as possible. The younger Winchester walked pass by his brother and turned around another corner to find himself in another end, again. Sam escaped a loud frustrated growl. This was getting ridiculous!

When Dean found him, he was punching and kicking the conifers, probably trying to vaporize them. The eldest Winchester smiled.

_That's my little Sammy_, he thought and walked over. He gripped his brother's shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"C'mon, stop it. Let's just call Cas. It's already hours that we're stuck in here. We won't get outta here before dawn if we keep doing this!" he said. Sam eyed at him.

"You sure, he's gonna get us outta here? Last time we talked to him, he did not seem to be fond of you!" Dean shrugged.

"So what? I'm gonna call him and he's gonna show up. _If_ you don't like it, you can try to get outta here by clicking your heels together." Dean stated and cocked his head towards the dark clear sky.

"Hey Cas, uhm, we got a little lost down here. So, we figured, you might come descend from heaven to zap us out of this friggin' maze." A moment after Dean finished his sentence the brothers could hear a fluttery sound, signaling an angel arriving next to them. Sam could not believe it.

He really had shown up, something must have been wrong with this angel lately. Dean in turn, seemed not to notice. Castiel appeared behind him, as always and he got goose bumps, as always. Dean turned around, glaring at the angel.

"Hello, Dean." Castiel said, calm and controlled as always, staring at the older Winchester.

"Hey, we got somethin', you know." Dean said. The angel tilted his head to one side, patiently waiting for more information.

"Sam's thinkin' it's a friggin' minotaur, like in King Minos' Labyrinth, you know." The older hunter kept going making several gestures while describing what they had found out. Still, no reaction of the angel! Sam interfered.

"I think, what Dean wants to say is that we have to go and slay a minotaur, here." Castiel turned his head to the younger brother.

"I did understand Dean, Sam. I simply do not understand why he called me for that." Sam raised his eyebrows and put on a forgiving smile, looking at his brother for help.

"I called you... because we somehow got lost and couldn't find the way out. Besides, I figured, you might know a weapon to kill such a roman creature."

"It's greek mythology, actually." Sam corrected his brother, earning a sharp look at the same time.

"So, what do you think about, zapping us outta here and helping us gank that thing?" Castiel remained quiet. First, he looked at Sam, then at Dean.

Finally, he said "You called me because you don't get out of this place and you need a weapon to slay a minotaur." Castiel's face darkened for a second and Dean could have sworn that he looked outrageous but this look vanished as fast as it had appeared on the angels face. Castiel walked over to Sam, putting two fingers onto his forehead and then, Deans baby brother was gone.

Before he moved over to Dean, Castiel said "I know a weapon you can use for slaying the beast. I will bring it to you."

Then, two fingers were put on Dean's forehead and he showed up outside the maze, next to his brother but with no sign of Castiel.

His brother seemed nervous and Dean raised an eye brow.

"What's the matter, Sammy?" The young Winchester growled.

"You know what time it is? It's already past midnight. We have only one day to go, otherwise our chance is gone." Sam explained to his brother, who did not seem to like the idea of letting a minotaur staying alive. Before he could reply anything, again, the fluttering noise of wings was to be heard.

The Winchesters looked at Castiel, in surprise.

"It was not where it has been for the time being." He started, earning a confused look from the men in front of him.

"The sword! It is gone. Apparently found by a human and brought to another place." Castiel continued.

"So what?" Dean asked.

"You don't know where it is?" Castiel nodded, obviously feeling not comfortable with this situation.

"Ah, c'mon, you're a friggin' angel! Use your mojo to find it." And there it was again, just a glimpse of rage in the angels face for less than a second.

"I do not know where it is." Castiel repeated. "Why is it so hard to understand that?" He moved one step forward. Sam, noticing the electricity between his brother and the angel interfered.

"We're gonna find it for you and then, you can get it. This should work, right? So, what are we looking for?" Castiel turned his head.

"Theseus' sword! After a fierce battle, he was able to decapitate the minotaur with his sword. Since then, it was considered as a weapon made by men's hand to slay a minotaur. It is the only weapon which can pierce the body of the creature." Castiel moved back, looking down. "If you know where it is to be found, call for me and I will get it for you." With this, Castiel was gone without waiting for the Winchesters to say anything, again.

Dean groaned something that sounded like _'great'_ when he lifted his arms above his head. "Let's get back, Sammy." he said and both got back to the car.

Back at the motel, Sam had started investigoogling for '_Theseus' sword_' and had found reliable data immediately. It was located in an old mystical history museum over in Michigan. Dean had called for Castiel, telling him, where to find that ancient artifact and not even five seconds later, the sword had appeared on their room table with no sign of the angel though. Sam and Dean glanced at each other, confused about this behavior but not minding at all. At least not Sam! Dean pondered with this reaction.

He sighed. Still in thoughts and not noticing that his brother was watching him.

_Dammit angel,__ not showing up, being pissed 'cause of nothin'. What the hell's goin' on?_ Dean sighed again.

"Dean!" his brother called out loud, interrupting the older hunter's thoughts.

"Yes?" Sam smiled.

"Attention! Here!" he said, pointing towards his laptop. Then, he started.

"King Minos from Crete had a deal with Poseidon. He would become king and sacrifice the first thing coming out of the waters for the god. But he cheated. He kept that white giant bull for himself and sacrificed another one. Poseidon was not that pleased and made his wife get laid by... well... that very bull in return. Later on, he let build a labyrinth for the offspring of that arrangement. Daedalus built the maze and from then on, every 9 years, Minos sent in seven female virgins and seven male virgins. Minos' daughter Ariadne was in charge of the labyrinth. Then, one day one of the sacrifices was Theseus, who intended to slay the minotaur. Apparently, Ariadne fell in love with him, giving him a sword and a ball of thread and he went into the maze to kill the beast." Sam explained watching his brother smiling about the memory of the getting-laid-by-a-bull-part.

He was so childish! "And what was the thread for?" Dean asked.

"To get back out of the maze, of course! You think he wrapped that thing up with it?" Sam grinned meaningful. Dean shrugged.

"Who knows?"

"You are mistaking porn with reality again, Dean." The eldest Winchester cleared his throat. "Whatever, bitch."

"Jerk."

Dean raised one eye brow.

"I wonder how many years in a row this has been on." Sam only shook his head.

"I'm sure we don't wanna know. Besides, what are we going to do now? We've got the sword but I don't think that creature will come at us at will. The only thing we need is bait but that thing only runs for..."

"Virgins, yeah I've got that part." Dean finished his brothers thought. Sam could hear the wheels starting to rattle in his brothers head.

"We need a virgin, you said!" Now it was Sam, who raised an eye brow.

"Yeah... but that would be difficult since you and I are no virgins and we can't just ask people around here, whether they are or not. Besides, the police ordered every citizen to stay at home and we can't wait for one of the people getting attacked!" Deans little brother continued, waiting for the older Winchester to tell him about the idea flying around in his head.

There was only one thing that came into Deans mind when he heard virgin, it was some little pissed angel named Castiel. Leaving Sam out of his thoughts, the eldest Winchester turned around and started praying.

"Hey, Castiel... would you move your sweet ass down here for a moment? Need to talk!" Sam stared at his brother, mouth agape.

"Ey, dude, did you just say 'sweet'?" he wanted to know, not sure, if he had heard his brother right.

Before Dean could find any excuses, Castiel answered the question.

"Yes he did, Sam." Dean shrugged. Seemed like, somebody was still pissed! The hunter turned around, looking at the angel.

"That's the normal way to say 'move down here, ASAP'." Dean explained, not sure, whether he would believe it himself.

"What do you want?" Castiel asked. His face did not show any feelings but his voice did all the more. The eldest Winchester cleared his throat. This was definitely not the right time! "We finally know what we have to do and we need you to help us gank this thing!" Castiel tilted his head, looking at Dean, emotionless, on the surface at least.

"Why?"

"Because this thing is after virgins." he said with a big frog in his throat.

_Okay, this is embarrassing_, Dean decided."And I... remember that you never... you know." The hunter put on an awkward smile.

Sam hid his face in his hand. He did not believe what was happening. _Oh, dear_, he thought, trying to hide his smile.

"You want me to be the bait. Do I understand you right, Dean?" Castiel asked, still no sign of emotions on his face, not as embarrassed as the hunters seemed to be. Jeez, this angel was persistent.

"Yes, that's what I want you to do. You alright with this?"

"Call me, when need be. I will be there." With this, the angel was gone again. It was the best that could have happened, because Sam started laughing as soon as Castiel was gone. Dean turned his head to his little brother.

"I think I missed the fun part." he said with low voice.

"Dude, you wanna tell me what's going on with you two, or what?" he asked, not able to stop laughing at all.

Dean rolled his eyes, pulled his jacket from the chair and left the room. He needed some fresh air!

At the very moment, Dean stepped out of the motel he inhaled the cold air deep into his lungs. He lifted his head a little so he could see the sky above.

"No clouds, so many stars." Dean froze. He, hopefully, did not say that out loud, did he? The Winchester looked around, in case, anyone might have heard it.

"There is nobody here, Dean." a calm voice from above his head said. Dean looked towards the roof and the angel came in sight.

Now it was on Dean to tilt his head.

"What are you doin' up there, Cas?" The angel looked down at the hunter. His blue eyes shining bright in the darkness surrounding them! Dean shook his head. _What the hell_, he thought before the familiar voice started to talk again.

"I have no place to go, Dean. I have been casted out from heaven due to my actions." Castiel was still calm. Dean could not understand how this angel was actually ticking! One moment he was all _gods' living wrath_ and the other, he was all _little puppy not knowing what to do in this big bad world_.

Dean sighed. He somewhat felt guilty.

He was the reason why Castiel had become number one on Heavens most wanted list, next to Sam and himself. He actually had never thought about where the angel was going all the time, when he was not with them.

_Obviously, he was standing or sitting somewhere waiting for you moron to call for him_, his head answered. The hunter sighed again.

"Dean? Are you well?" The angel had never heard him sigh so often. Dean had to smile.

"Yes, Cas, I'm fine. Just thinking!" Pause.

"Hey, c'mon down here. You commin' with me." he continued. A fluttering sound was to be heard and Castiel was standing by his side.

"Where are we going?" he asked, tilted his head to one side and started staring at the Winchester in his special way.

"To a place were you're not gonna become a frozen chicken wing. I'm not gonna let you stay on the roof or whatever. You'll be staying in my room. End of discussion." Without thinking about his actions, he grabbed the angel by the coat, dragging him back inside the motel and into his room.

As the door went shut, silence fell over both of them. The last time they shared this room, it started awful and ended even more awful.

But he brought him here and would not throw him out again. So, why exactly did he feel the need to know where the angel was all of the sudden?

_Because I never thought about it, _was all he could come up with, right now.

When he realized, that neither of them could find anything to talk about he decided to break the silence with a yawn, stretching and turning towards the angel.

"I know you angels don't have to sleep and stuff but I, for myself, I feel pretty much done for today." Making his way towards the bed he heard the soft steps of the angel following him. Dean turned around before he reached his bed, pointing a finger towards the angel's chest and poking against it slightly.

"No, Cas. Couch." he said, moving his head towards the couch which standing a few feet behind the bed. Castiel tilted his head to the side, if the Winchester only could read the angels mind right now.

"I don't want you to leave and stay outside from now on but sharing a bed is... it's just not cool, ya know?" The angel nodded but did obviously not understand the point of this at all.

"Of course, Dean." he simply responded and made his way past him, sat down on the couch, folded his hands and remained silent.

Shutting the light and welcoming the pillow under him, Dean laid down, kicking off his shoes and turning his back towards the couch, with the unmoving angel. A relieved sigh left his lips, as he closed his eyes for a few seconds.

Something was odd. His eyes shot open again and with a swift he turned his body around to look for the angel, somehow hoping he was still there but also wishing he would be gone at the same time.

He wished he had not mentioned that Castiel could stay again but this time, not in his bed. Dean could hardly bear to watch the figure in the dark, even though he knew it was just the angel staring at the ground.

But still, it felt weird.

Turning around and closing his eyes again, he tried to drift off to sleep. There was no sound, no move, nothing, but still, Dean opened his eyes again immediately after he had closed them. Jerking his head up and looking over his shoulder.

The angel was still sitting there but now, he was not starring at his feet.

The Winchester could not see his face or his eyes, but somehow he knew Castiel was watching him. A shiver ran down his spine. Maybe the angel did not mean to stare but it crept him out.

Dean remembered, when he was able to see, the man lying in front of him, his back turned towards him, it was much easier to fall asleep. But now, it just felt like, if he closed his eyes, he would not wake up in the morning. Placing his face back onto the pillow he gnarled to himself at the thought. Why would Castiel try to kill him? That was just ridiculous. He forced his eyes shut, moving restlessly in the sheets.

Was the angel still watching him? Those blue eyes focused and burning holes into his backside? He could not resist the urge and opened his eyes once again. He sat up and shot a frustrated but also a little panicked glare towards Castiel, who had not moved an inch since he had turned the light off.

"Something wrong, Dean?" the hunter could hear the innocent sounding voice coming from the dark shadow. Smiling faintly but still wondering why his mind could not cool down he nodded.

"I'm fine... I'm going to sleep. Now." he added and turned his attention away from the angel.

He drifted off to sleep eventually, dreaming of eyes, haunting him with their deep blue and emotionless expression.

Dean winced as he felt something brushing his forehead. Opening his eyes, feeling worse than the day before and thinking he was still dreaming as those blue eyes were right in front of him.

Dean's heart paused for a moment. A very important moment! As a hunter, such moments were always critical.

As a reflex, he gave a shriek, but at the same moment his fist moved forward, hitting the angels chin. The angel did not move but the hunter did even more, Dean simply fell out of the bed, staring at Castiel, mouth agape.

The punch had no effect on the angel, who was now towering over Dean.

"You don't seem relaxed, Dean. People normally feel relaxed after they slept the whole night." "Get off me!" Dean got up on his elbows staring straight upwards into the angels face, feeling furious and about to punch him again. Castiel did not bother to move at all and kept staring downwards.

"I said, get off Cas! Move!"

"Always ordering others around..." the angel commented insensibly.

"And you keep following those orders!" Castiel did not bother to bend down, when he replied. "Did you ever think about the reason for that, Dean?" The angel stressed the hunters name on purpose.

The spoken to narrowed his eyes a bit before they grew wide, those eyes, he dreamed of them but seeing them in reality was different, especially with that longing inside of them. What the hell did the angel want from him?

He opened his mouth but could not think of an appropriate reply when a sudden knock at the door interrupted Dean's thoughts. When his brother entered the room, the angel was gone. Seeing his brother on the ground instead of on the bed, Sam pursed his lips.

"Dean? What are you doin' on the ground? You alright?" he asked out of curiosity. Dean noticed he had held his breath. He slowly exhaled, calming himself down. His brother did not need to know.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he said, standing up, smiling at his brother.

"How did you sleep?" Sam shrugged.

"Good. You?"

"Wonderful! Just wonderful." he replied, getting a towel and all the stuff he needed in the bathroom. Before Sam could ask or say anything else, he disappeared in the smaller room, closing the door. He needed a shower.

Hot, cold, whatever, just water on him! He knew, this would be a long day, especially the part with Castiel.

Breakfast was unbelievable annoying for Dean. Sam had not stopped asking questions, his mood had decreased into the lower levels of 'shut up or die' and he felt confused.

Whatever that damn angel was talking about, it forced him to think about it, whether he wanted it or not. And this was definitely not the best time.

Dean ran a hand over his face. This would be a very long day...

And he was right, the morning had passed and he was thinking about that freaking angel. Noon had passed and he kept thinking about that stupid angel. Afternoon had passed and he still kept thinking about that blue-eyed angel. And now it was half past six and he still kept thinking about Castiel.

The fact, that Sam had to prepare everything on his own for their hunt tonight did not bother him at all.

At nightfall, the Winchesters got in the car and made their way to the church. Sam had handed Dean another map of the maze, so he would not get lost again.

The sword of Theseus was laying on the backseat and would hopefully put an end to this outrageous virgin killing.

At least, they hoped it would work out alright. Dean had not bothered calling for the angel before they arrived at the garden, thinking about him all day was enough to prevent him from doing so.

Besides, maybe it was just his imagination but he felt like Castiel was watching him anyways, even if he was not showing up.

Turning on their flashlights and entering the maze together, Sam and Dean walked pass several turns of conifers.

The trees unmoving since the wind had calmed down in between the rows. Only followed by quiet steps of their feet and their strained breaths they went deep inside and stopped when they finally reached the center of the maze.

"You know, it's actually wrong they created a center. It's not a true maze anymore. It's like a hybrid of a labyrinth and a maze." Sam folded the map and looked around.

"Yeah thanks, very important information, Sam." his brother replied sarcastically. Dean slapped his hands together, rubbing them and started to call for Castiel, hoping he would still appear, since he had agreed to help them either if he was still angry at him or not.

"Castiel, we're all settled down here so... would you come over here you pretty bait?" he said, retrieving a 'what the hell dude' look from his brother before Dean felt a hand on his shoulders.

Feeling the angel invading his space on purpose, Dean jumped, as usual but refused to insult the angel this time, they had way more important business to do than keep insulting each other for their behavior. They explained their plan to the angel, resulting in him standing right there, waiting.

"Do something a virgin would do." was all Dean said with a cheerful smile but frowned right away, at the look Castiel threw at him. While the brothers covered behind a close by row of conifers, the angel got in position, looking around for any sign of an opponent. Castiel would play the decoy to lure out the minotaur.

Dean and Sam would attack it from behind and stab the creature with Theseus' sword. No more dead, eaten virgins.

Sounded good, at least to the Winchesters! Castiel had his doubts but had refused to mention any of them. The three of them waited for around ten minutes before something finally happened.

Castiel moved his head into one direction, sensing what was coming towards him before the Winchester brothers heard the stomping out of nowhere. It was getting louder with every breath, the ground slightly shaking with each step.

Finally, when the minotaur was in sight, their mouths gaped open. Dean glared to his brother with a look saying: You did not mention that thing was made of stone!

The younger brother could only hike his shoulders. Eye-telling him: How should I know? In the very moment, the minotaur appeared in Castiel's sight, he hated being right. How were they supposed to slay a minotaur made of stone? The angel drew his blade, staring right upwards to the eight feet tall thing.

He could simply have flown away but then the two brothers were in great danger. So he had no choice.

Honestly, he had the choice but despite his anger he still protected the Winchesters, or at least, he tried to. When the huge creature approached him he backed off slowly. That thing could not be that fast right?

The minotaur lowered its head, pointing the great horns onto Castiel. It snorted with rage. The angel took a deep breath and prepared himself for attack.

The mythical creature stomped once, before it started running, directly heading towards Castiel. With a fast and smooth move, he flanked the minotaur, sliding his blade along the stony leg.

The minotaur just growled, unpleased about its targets spirit to fight. When the angel realized that there was just a simple scratch, where he had hit the stone creature, he put his blade away. He had already expected that, so Castiel turned his head towards the hunters.

"Give me Theseus' sword!" he yelled and was able to get out of the minotaur's way, when it attacked once more. Rolling over the grass he landed on his knees.

"What are you waiting for? Dean!" the angel yelled and got hit by the bull in the back. Castiel was lifted up onto the minotaur's horns, before it threw him right into the conifers.

Dean clenched his yaw. He got out of their hideout, running towards the giant stone minotaur, but the creature was stronger.

That thing turned around, ducked and grabbed the hunter by his leg. With this, another person flew across the maze and landed where already the angel was lying. Dean sighed and held the sword out for Castiel.

"Here you are." He said, gasping for some air. Castiel did not understand what the older Winchester was talking about, since he knew that he was laying next to him but he took the sword and got himself up, out of those plants.

The minotaur roared loud.

Castiel moved forward, getting between Dean and the bull-human-hybrid. This time, it was him who did the first move. He practically smashed into the cairn, raising his arm and lowering it immediately strong and forcefully, piercing the minotaur.

At least, that was what it looked like for Dean.

Unfortunately, the sword had no effect. Surprised, Castiel cocked his head before a mighty hand slapped him directly into the face.

Losing the sword the angel hit the ground and moaned. Dean did not believe what he saw getting up and drawing his gun.

A few shoots cut through the night drowned by the loud growl of the now, pretty pissed, creature.

Sam had stayed where he was, since he could only think of the one person, to help them out. Calling Bobby's number, chanting _c'mon c'mon c'mon _into the speaker, he desperately tried to make Bobby pick up the phone faster.

When the ringing finally stopped and the old man's annoyed voice was hearable, Sam bursted out portraying Bobby their current situation.

Apparently, the sword was not working. Bobby on the other hand just called him an idiot for being dumb.

"What do you mean the sword does not work, if Castiel is using it?" Sam almost yelled into the phone.

"Oh dear, stop yelling and listen. I mean, that it is useless in the hands of an angel. Theseus was a human being, no demi-god, no super being, he was simply a man! It will only work if you or Dean uses it, so do it instead of chit-chatting with me on the phone!"

"Especially, when he's already busy!" A lower, well known voice of a demon ended the conversation and the call was cut off.

The younger Winchester narrowed his brows in confusion but had not the time to care about that right now.

He put the phone back into his pocket and run towards their opponent. Meanwhile, his brother and the angel were still trying to get a hold on the minotaur, failing bravely. At least, as long as Castiel was using the sword!

"Castiel." Sam yelled.

"I need the sword." That was all it took to get the minotaur's attention. The creature turned around heading for Sam.

Dean yelled and Castiel smacked the giant living stone statue once more. Landing on the ground they rolled over the grass, fighting for dominance.

Since the minotaur was taller and much heavier than Castiel, he made it to press the angel down. Not for long at least. One bullet hit the minotaur directly between the eyes.

Groaning it turned its head towards the one who had shot. Dean gulped.

"Not good." he said and forced a smile on his face.

"Nice, minotaur. Be a nice little bull." The minotaur roared again.

"Guess you're no nice little bull." the older Winchester said still smiling, desperately.

"Ooooooh... shiiiiiiit." With this, Dean started running, behind him, the minotaur.

Castiel and Sam following, with the only weapon that could end this chase!

When Dean got into a dead end, he turned around, facing the minotaur. Before it could attack, though, Castiel jumped at it, tightening his arms around the strong neck. The stony creature bent backwards, trying to keep its balance.

"Sam, do it, now!" Castiel shouted losing his rough grip on the stone. Sam sprinted towards the giant creature, stabbing it into the chest. The minotaur writhed one last time, throwing Castiel from his back and slamming Sam into the mazes walls, it died roaring and disintegrating into fine dust.

For an undefined moment there was only silence. The only sound they could hear where each other's fast breathings, urging for more oxygen.

Then, Dean started laughing. "Wasn't that difficult, was it?" he said, looking at Sam and the angel alternately. Sam just moaned and put on his 'yeah sure it was easy peasy' face on.

Castiel on the other hand, who still was angry, simply stated "Easy for you to say, who ran away." Sam started laughing out loud, when he heard the angel's serious voice, falling backwards onto the grass, his hands on his stomach.

Dean glared at the angel, before he started laughing too.

"Yes, I was running, into a dead end... and you guys ganked it. You're my heroes." Dean smiled at the angel, waiting.

Nothing happened, except the fact, that this very angel stood up and turned his back towards the brothers. Castiel's voice was low, when he said "I should go then." He made his way over to the tossed aside sword, bending down and picking it up. It had to be returned to the museum.

"You probably want..." He was thinking about the right word not even looking at one of the brothers.

"Some time alone!" he finished his sentence before he disappeared. Dean's smile died seconds later and he punched the ground beneath.

"Oh you damn angel! C'mon, don't you dare to do that again." _I never ask you to stay, huh? You never wait for me to ask_, Dean thought, feeling his anger boiling up inside.

"Dean... you're alright?" Sam asked, finally getting up from the ground.

"Yeah, let's go before anyone notices that we ruined their maze. We're done here anyways." Dean answered while standing up from the grass.

They made their way back to the motel, leaving the lost, broken trees and white dust of the minotaur behind them.

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><p><strong>We're aware of the fact that Jimmy Novak is not a virgin but we assure you that mythologic creature can smell the angels virginity~<strong>

**...if you don't trust us well... Bollocks.**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter!**  
><strong>It's gonna be wet...<strong>


	5. Still waters run deep

**Updated version.**

**Longest chapter so far hope you enjoy it as much as we did writting it!**

**Anyway. In this chapter, our hunters and angel are going to get wet! ;) **

**Enjoy!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>5. Still waters run deep<strong>

Until the wind stirs them up

The whole way back, Dean had remained quiet, staring onto the street. He had not even bothered to answer Sam's dozen of questions about '_what is going on between you two_' and '_why don't you talk to me, I'm your brother_'.

Finally, Sam had given up. If he did not want to talk, he could not make him talk. Both of them knew!

Now, that they were both back in their motel rooms. They wanted to rest for the next few hours until dawn. Sam certainly was already asleep but Dean was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking.

He actually was not good in those brain-involving things. Usually Sammy did all the important thinking. But this one was on him! Dean growled.

_What did that friggin__' angel mean? Aah, c'mon brain. I need ya right now_, he thought. The Winchester sighed, turning to the left. _You're following my orders without hesitation... why?_ He sighed again, turned to the right.

_I never ask you to stay? You never wait I can do so_. Dean turned onto his back. _There is no place he can go but then, where is he all the time he's not with us?_ _Sitting on the roof starin' up into the sky? _

"Jesus, this freakin' chicken wing is drivin' me nuts." he cried out loud sitting up, staring at the door as if he could vaporize it with a simple look. The morning came way too fast for the eldest Winchester. He had not made it to fall asleep at all, resulting in a horrible looking man with dark rings under his eyes.

When Sam saw him, he could not believe his eyes.

"You look like shit." he just managed to say, before he shoved his salad into his mouth.

"No shit, Sherlock." Dean replied sarcastically, poking around in his apple pie.

Sam sighed.

He was patient, when he had to be but this was just ridiculous.

"Listen, Dean. You better get things straight with Castiel, whatever is going on..."

"There is nothing going on, Sam and if you don't shut up... just shut up, okay? I can handle this." Dean cut off his brother with a loud voice.

Gaining the attention of some of the other guests and started mumbling and whispering. The older Winchester rolled his eyes.

"Let's get outta here." he said, leaving his pie.

Sam put some money onto the table and followed his brother. Not ten minutes later, the Winchesters were on the highway leaving Danville as fast as possible.

Not caring about what might have been found in the maze or where that minotaur actually came from.

Not caring for the screaming Rickbee who had to rake all day through the whole garden. The job was done, that was all that mattered.

Somewhere far South

The day was just perfect. The sky was blue, the tiny bits of clouds looked like torn marshmallows about to vanish into milk and cocoa.

Dave Calderon inhaled the smell of burning coals, the scent of roasting beef, mixed with the taste of a cold, and freshly opened beer.

It was indeed a perfect day for a barbecue. Turning the meat a few times to make sure it did not burn to ashes he felt a tight grip around his chubby belly.

"How's the meat darlin'?" his wife asked, kissing his cheek and looking down onto the brazier. "It will be done soon. Call the kids and tell them to wash their hands! The Johnsen's will be here in any minute." he replied and grinned widely. Yes, today would be the best day.

His old time friend and his family would come.

They would have fun, talk about nonsense and later drink a few beers and remember the good old days. As he turned the beef around another time he got startled by a loud honk from the nearby lake. He turned his gaze towards the huge boat that was approaching from the other side. Dave smiled.

His friend always had to come with that huge thing just to show off. He was not jealous, not at all but still... it just bothered him. With one of the already done pieces of meat he made his way towards the jetty. Waving over to the boat, he did not notice the crippling of the water approaching right next to him.

"Hey Joe! C'mon that thing is slow as hell! Move it!" Dave stopped waving towards his friend and shaded his eyes from the reflecting sun, loosening the grip on the meat and it fell into the water.

"Shit!" He got on his knees trying to see if he could somehow still save the 40$ meat. Narrowing his eyes he stared into the water. He saw nothing but darkness and sighed in anger, closing his eyes for a brief second.

When he opened them again, his heart froze. A pair of eyes was staring right at him, moving closer and blinking softly. Dave opened his mouth and was about to scream but he could not, he just stared into those weird eyes.

"Dave, what're you doin'?" His wife set a few more plates on the table, wondering why he was on the landing stage.

"Laura get the camera!" he yelled over and reached into the water. He was not scared at all, he believed that every being in this world was wonderful and he never saw something like he saw right now.

Its long face, the long mane, those eyes looked full of mercy and forgiveness. As his fingers touched the water his eyes widened as the water splashed against his face, the merciful look in those eyes turning into a madness he never saw before.

A pair of strong, manly arms reached out of the water, grabbing him by his arm and dragging him into the water.

A short scream, which was choked off as his mouth was filled with water, escaped him, before Dave was pulled underwater leaving only the barbecue tongs and his screaming wife behind.

Back on the road

Sam stayed quiet. From time to time he glanced over at his brother, receiving no reaction, not even a short look and tried to keep his mouth shut.

With the ongoing apocalypse they did not need any more problems, especially not between them, but Dean was just not in the mood to sort things out.

Where the hell were they even going? Grabbing the steering wheel tightly Dean tried to focus on the street, noticing the bypassing cities and villages.

Millions of people who did not even know what was going on and what would happen, if nobody stopped the remaining horsemen and Lucifer's plans. Sometimes, he really wished that nothing of this was real and he would just be a normal human being, with a normal life, a normal family and a normal job, with normal income.

But that would not be him, Dean Winchester, oldest son of John Winchester, destined to fight monsters and deal with weird angels and demons. _These damn angels!_

His thoughts got cut off when his eyes met a village sign, displaying 'Winchester' twenty miles. Dean's eyebrows moved upwards.

He suddenly had an idea. "Hey, Sammy. What do you think about staying in Winchester for a day?" he asked smirking. His brother, who had taken a nap, turned his head in surprise. Not sure, what he actually had heard.

"Come again?" Dean smiled at his brother and repeated.

"Let's go to Winchester!" His brother still not understanding what Dean was actually talking about turned his head towards the road in front of them. When he noticed the Route sign with an exit to 'Winchester', he finally understood.

"You serious, dude?" Sam asked his brother, a smile on his face. Dean shrugged.

"Why not? Would be fun to see Winchester once, don't you think so?"

"Very well..." The younger brother started.

"Since we don't have anything else, more important, to do, sure. Let's have some spare time with our namesake." Sam continued sarcastically.

Dean changed the lane, not bothering about any other cars on the highway, not bothering his baby brothers warning to drive carefully.

He activated the indicator and joined the lane for exiting the highway. Half an hour later they passed the village name sign and Dean started singing.

"I don't care about the sunshine, yeah. 'Cause mama mama, I'm comin' home..." When Sam looked at his brother with a face saying '_you kiddin' me right_', he just stuck out his tongue.

"C'mon, Sammy, let's enjoy ourselves for some time. The apocalypse certainly won't run away." he said, smiling hitting the brakes when the traffic lights turned red.

All the young Winchester could do was to roll his eyes about that. Sometimes he wondered if his brother was really an all mature man or just pretending.

This place really seemed nice. They passed some houses, searching for a motel of some kind. This place looked very nice. Except the fact, that it had neither a motel nor hotel at all. Dean growled.

"Is this possible? No friggin' motel? Serious?" Sam unfastened his seatbelt.

"Stop, Dean. I'm gonna ask somebody." he said and Dean did as he was told. When Sam got off the car, he rushed over to a group of young people. Dean could watch them describing something and run the engine again.

His brother was fast. Closing the door, he said "Okay, they said, they're renovating the hotel at the moment but there is a parking near the water where people can go camping." Dean furrowed his brow.

"You wanna go campin' Sammy?"

"Well they said the Tims Ford Lake is down the road and it's the best place for camping in this region. So, it's our free day right? Relax and do some fishing and sightseein'?" Sam showed the little flyer to Dean he had received from the nice citizens.

"You go for the museums, library and stuff, I prefer sitting around in the sun and grabbing my rod." Gaining a '_you mean, you go fishing_' look from his brother, Dean grinned and drove the Impala towards the lake.

Winchester was build in the middle of a huge forest and the lake was accessible by several branches which were bridged with small wooden planks, obviously not made for cars to set over. The whole place smelled like nature, clean water and peacefulness.

As they got closer to Tims Ford Lake, a few police cars and an ambulance passed them by. Sam turned his head in curiosity but his brother did not seem to bother.

He was seriously going for a day off. They had to wade through way too much shit the past few weeks, they needed this. They _deserved _this.

Dean noticed the sign for camping positions, guiding them to the left and they started searching for a nice, quiet, lonesome and delightful spot where they could settle down.

A few trees and nearly naked people later, they found an empty bay and Dean parked the car right on the grass.

Sam could not believe it, his brother nearly jumped out of the car, walked to the back of the car, opened the trunk, got out a camping chair, his rod and bait box and walked straight towards the shore.

"Wh... wait! Dean what about... I wanted to visit the damn city centre! The library is told to be enormous!" Sam got out of the car smashing the door shut.

"Nice sightseeing Sammy, see ya later!" his brother replied turning his attention towards the lake, the rod and obviously not Sam anymore. Sighing heavily Sam walked around the car.

"You sure you don't wanna come and see a bit of the town and its history?" he tried one last time gaining a straight _'nope' _from the obviously 'busy' hunter.

"Fine, you better catch us some fish then... I'll bring some vegetables from the market later." Sam got in the car again and started the engine, shaking his head before he set back and left his brother alone with his thoughts.

Dean's inner tension faded away with the sound of his beloved Impala growing weaker and he was finally alone, again. He actually hoped for his brother to leave so he would not come up with any more awkward questions, which he could not answer himself.

He was staring straight towards the lake when his eye met a little slightly overgrown landing stage. Smiling, he walked straight ahead and set his little chair on the wooden planks, which made the water under him gurgle.

_A perfect place to go fishing_, he thought and his smile grew wider. _Or just a good place to relax and forget about everything! _

Dean took out a simple fake grub bait and prepared his rod, swinging it a bit behind his head, winding up and finally casting his rod several feet away. Satisfied with the range he sat down onto the chair.

Holding the rod in a mild grip, he started the waiting game.

The sun was hiding behind a few clouds, only to come out again and to present the hunter with a warm and pleasant light. Soaking in the smell of his surroundings, Dean closed his eyes for a few seconds.

_I remember this._

Opening his eyes again, his joy faded away as he felt the sense of a déjà vu coming over him. "I'm friggin' dreamin!" It looked the same. Everything looked the same as in his dream a few months ago. The Winchester turned around, prepared to see Castiel appearing from out of nowhere but the angel did not show up.

Grabbing tightly onto the armrest, Dean got interrupted in his despair. Something was hitting, he could feel the slight vibrations the fish sent into his hand.

Even if it was a dream, hell, it could not be the same one, at least. No sign of Castiel and a fish was aiming for his bait, totally different. He secured the rod with both hands. Feeling and waiting. When the line got tense he pulled his rod upwards.

"Strike! Gotcha!" Dean yelled, feeling the rage vanishing again as he dragged his catch home.

The rod bent down dangerously, the fish seemed huge and Dean's excitement grew with every pull on the pole.

"Hello, Dean."

The hunter jumped out of the chair with a surprised curse.

The rod fell to the ground and got pulled into the water by whatever was on the other end. Dean turned around and was facing the trench coat wearing angel of the Lord.

Catching his breath and feeling his heart beat slow down he pointed towards Castiel with a startled expression on his face.

"Why always... from behind? Why can't you just show up somewhere else, why? Is it that hard to appear without nearly killing everyone with a heart attack?" Dean cursed, turned around and saw his favorite fishing rod disappear into the lake.

Growling deeply, he faced the angel again who had closed the distance between them and was standing right behind the hunter.

Meeting those curious blue eyes with his own eyes, Dean held his breath and stared straight forward. A few moments passed with neither of them saying a word, when he finally lowered his head, grinning heartlessly.

"That was my best rod ya know?" he started, looking up into the angels close face again.

"It's from my father, Cas. He made it himself and now... it's gone. Thanks." He knew it was not Castiel to blame but right now, he did not care.

The angel was technically to blame for his loss and still, he felt a fury inside of him and pushed the angel roughly away and out of his way, only to grab him by his collar and pulling him close again.

"You should be careful, Dean." Blue eyes burnt into him and into his soul. He could feel himself loosening the grip on the angel and he took a few steps backwards, his back facing the lake. Castiel's bad-ass angel voice was back again once more.

Dean shook his head slightly.

"What is it Castiel? What the hell do you want?" The angel moved slowly breaking the distance between them apart again, getting closer to the seemingly confused and panicked hunter. Backing off even further, Dean nearly lost his balance as his foot reached the end of the wooden planks.

"Cas, snap out of it! That's not you!"

"Dean, don't run from me." With every step the angel got closer, the water seemed to splash even more and even higher.

The Winchester turned his gaze around, facing the water. He could swim, so there was no need to be afraid of falling into the water but still, heaven would know what the angel was up to.

"Dean, stay right there."

Castiel said slowly reaching out for the hunter. Dean's eyes widened and he turned his attention back to the now welcoming water. Maybe he should just jump and dive and swim for his life. Better soaking wet than whatever the angel was up to, it could only be worse.

That was when he saw them.

He had not noticed it before but now he could clearly see them. The water was watching him. No, something in the water was staring at him. Those eyes, they somehow crept him out, but also they dragged him closer.

Before he noticed, he bent backwards and felt the wood under him creak, resulting in him losing his balance. It felt like time was slowed down, his breath died in the motion and his head swung around, watching the angel's hand reaching out for him.

Dean tried to reach out for Castiel's hand to prevent him from falling, feeling the touch of the angel's fingers against his own for a brief second, only to part right away again.

He fell, his back burst through the surface and dark water surrounded him.

He could feel strong arms grabbing and holding onto him in a tight embrace, dragging him down.

Dragging him away from those desperate blue eyes…

Jerking into an upright position, Dean woke up and felt the rod in his hands vibrating softly. The Winchester held onto it while he turned his head around.

There was no Castiel behind him.

As he noticed, it had been a dream after all he let his eyes wander to the left, only to recognize a very well known brown fabric fluttering in an upcoming breeze.

Sinking deep into his chair, Dean tried to ignore the fact that Castiel was there, again, and focused on his scaly prey.

_That was just a dream but this is real this time, right_, he thought while he kept reeling in the fish.

"Yes, Dean. It is."

"Cas, get out of my head! I told you I don't want you reading my thoughts over and over!" he barked, facing the angel to his left with a not amused stare.

Castiel did not even look at him this time and faced the open water in front of them, but Dean could see him fighting against any emotion that wanted to show.

"Maybe if you keep reading my thoughts I can answer you in my head instead of wasting breath, eh?"

Trying to brighten the situation up again and regretting his harsh voice immediately, he set on a cheerful smile, hoping the angel would face him but Castiel was still staring straight over the lake, clenching his fists.

Deans furrowed his brow. He did not understand that angel lately. Not at all! The hunter sighed.

_Ok, Winchester. You blew it, again_, he thought. Dean cleared his throat.

"Okay, let's start again, from the beginning." he said quietly.

"In my dream, you just wanted to warn me and I thought you wanted to... whatever. I'm sorry Cas." the Winchester continued, shaking his head about his own stupid thoughts.

The angel still did not look at him, which was actually very strange, since Castiel always looked at him in that certain way of his. He replied though.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Dean."

_What is that now?_ Dean stared at Castiel the way as he usually did at him.

"Okay... right. Never mind. Just a dream." Maybe he was just imagining it that the angel was there. Castiel finally turned his head to look at him.

"Are you saying that you were dreaming about me, saving you?" he asked. His voice lightly amused. Very lightly amused! Dean forced a smile.

"Nah, I didn't say that!" he said, clearing his throat.

Castiel turned his attention back to the waters. Not bothering with Dean's behavior anymore. The hunter in turn, moved to his side, so he could see the waters as well.

"What are you looking at, Cas? You see something I don't see?"

He was way too curious not to ask the angel about his strange acting. Castiel did not answer. Dean waited.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

He finally sighed.

"Castiel... I can't read minds." he said, waiting for the angel to reply to his damn question, which was...?

"You should stay away from the water. It is dangerous. You could drown." Unbelievable, the angel spoke! Dean moved his head in an astonished way.

"Yeah, I know but I can swim. As long as you can swim properly, you don't drown immediately." Castiel turned his head, facing the hunter.

"It's dangerous." he said patient. Okay, that was the right moment to be suspicious. Dean tilted his head, there was something! His spider-senses were tingling.

"Cas, can you swim?" And he was right. In the very moment, Dean had asked Castiel he could see it, feel it. The angel was uncomfortable with that question.

"Caaaaaaas..." he sighed sweet hearted.

_It can't be like that, can it_, Dean thought smiling.

"No." was the plain answer. The hunter's mouth fell open. Closing his mouth, he tried to say something but nothing left his throat.

Dean would have started to laugh if it was not the angel saying such a thing to him but now, that he did it was just... miserable.

_He can't be serious, right? He's just kidding. But when is Cas kidding?_ Dean tried to explain it to himself but failed completely. He sighed.

Sam was pissed, since when did all museums and libraries close on a Wednesday?

He was lucky enough to at least get them some food and drinks for later.

Since they wanted to camp for real, he even borrowed tents for him and his brother, so they would not have to sleep in the car.

As he made his way to the Impala, he perked up his ears. Two women behind him were gabbling fast and full of sensation.

"Yeah I heard it too! Awful! Just awful! Poor Laura, all alone with the kids!" One of them said in a high pretending voice.

"Mai said they haven't found him yet... I bet it was a shark attack!"

"There're no sharks in Tims Ford!"

"I heard about freshwater sharks ya know?"

"Oh really?"

Sam moved on ignoring the rest of the conversation.

Grinning a little he placed the purchases next to him. Not today, this was not the time to worry about anything supernatural. Wondering if his brother had any luck with fishing, he drove the car back towards the lake.

As the shore came into view where he left Dean, he noticed that his brother was not alone anymore. Dean was waving his hand around and was obviously explaining something to Castiel in a very suggestive way, still holding the rod in his other hand.

He approached them wondering if they finally managed to talk things out.

"You can't swim? Hell, can you at least walk on water?"

Dean could not believe it. Still, it made somewhat sense, since when did the heaven contain a pool but still it was ridiculous.

"He's not Jesus, Dean." his younger brother interfered, earning another of his brother's death glares. Turning his gaze towards the approaching Winchester, Castiel put on his serious face.

"Jesus couldn't walk on water, he actually..." The older Winchester did not allow the angel to continue his sentence.

"I got ya. So stay away from the damn lake. Nobody wants you soaking wet and screaming." When Castiel tilted his head to the side, with a displeased expression on him, Dean sighed. "It's for your own good. Neither of us wants you to drown, get me?"

The Winchester did not want to make it sound like another order.

Hell, why did the angel always make him regret each and every sentence? Dean sighed. The angel still stared at the water in front of them.

Noticing the upcoming pull on his rod, he focused for a few seconds to reel in whatever has been stupid enough to fall for his grub.

In the meantime, Sam dropped the stuff he had bought in a savory store, looking at his brother and the angel alternately. He raised his eye brows.

"Somethin' interestin' you got there?" he asked and received a prompt reply.

"Just water, Sammy." Dean was waving his hand in the way saying _'none of your business, now, get done over there'_. Sam growled and rolled his eyes.

"You know Sammy..." Dean started again, still trying to find what the angel was looking at and finally managed to pull the fish out of the water.

Grinning at the good size and fight that little thing had brought up. He went to his knees and got a hold on the slippery and struggling fish.

"When we're done here, we can go swimmin'. What'cha think?" Pause.

"What about you 'n fishing?" Dean grabbed the largemouth bass he caught and held it high that his brother could see it.

"Already done, Sammy." he said, forced himself to turn away and walked over to his baby brother. He put down the bass and started to help his Sam building a nice little fireplace.

"Cas, we need some more short wooden branches. Maybe you could pick some up for our camping fire?" The younger hunter asked smiling.

Subject of his question finally turned around, looking at the Winchester brothers.

The angel was very good in hiding emotions but he could not hide his curiosity.

"You want to burn this place?" he asked, tilting his head to one side. Both, Dean and Sam started laughing, what made the angel even more confused.

"No, Cas, we don't wanna burn this place. We just wanna have our own little barbecue over a nice little and controlled campfire." Dean explained and watched the angel turning towards the nearby trees and starting to search for branches.

He shook his head. _This angel is really different_. Smiling, he went back to his car to see if his brother had brought anything else with him. What he saw on the backseat made him wonder. "Sammy... did you buy tents?" He could hear his brother's voice from outside the car, coming closer.

"No, just borrowed them in a store. Gonna give them back tomorrow." he said, now standing beside Dean. The older Winchester looked at the two bagged tents and reached for them.

"Just two, eh?" he said eyeing his brother.

"I'm not psychic, Dean! How should I know Castiel would come too? Besides, these are big enough for at least two people." He said, grinning a little and turning his head towards the kneeling angel further afar from them, who was still picking up wood.

"Funny, Sammy." Dean replied glaring at the younger hunter before his gaze turned towards the busy angel.

_Hopefully he doesn't think that's another order,_ he thought, turning his attention to the tents in his hand, throwing one of them towards his brother's stomach, followed by the other one. "You'll start putting up the tents and I'm preparing the hot stuff!" he said smiling, as his brother could not get a hold on both bags and let one of them fall to the ground.

"Fine! Just don't get yourself too hot!" his younger brother replied snickering.

Picking up the bags again, Sam made his way towards a nice shallow space between the fire and the wood.

Not too close to the water but close enough to have it in sight.

Removing rocks and little branches, he prepared the chosen place, noticing Castiel passing by, his arm filled with firewood and walking over to his brother.

"Are these enough for your intentions, Dean?" The angel asked suspiciously and watched the other man sitting on his knees, who decided to create the fire close by the shore, so they could easily turn it off if needed.

Dean looked up and smiled as he noticed the amount of wood Castiel carried with him.

"I'd say with that, we could probably burn the place." Regretting his joke right away when the angel made a face, he continued.

"No Cas, we won't. Get that stuff down here." Waving his hand towards the ground and next to the circle of sand in which he made a hole.

Staying on his knees, the hunter started to search for the perfect branches to create the template for the campfire, surrounding the smaller branches with bigger ones.

The angel stood right next to him, calm and watching every move the other made.

"Instead of doing nothing but staring, you could actually help me down here, Cas." Dean looked up, inviting the angel to get down next to him.

Castiel waited a few seconds before he finally decided to kneel down as he was told. Since the circle of wood seemed finished to him, he did not know what he should probably help with.

Dean removed a few branches and placed some of the thinner ones inside, together with a few hands of dry meadow.

"What is it you want me to do?" Castiel asked while he watched the hunter reaching out for his pocket and retrieving his lighter.

"Blow." he simply said while he tried his lighter a few times before it finally sparked a flame. Moving forward about to get the fire started, the flame was blown out. A perplexed expression on his face, he turned towards the one who had just blown. The corners of his mouth jerked up a little, twitched and he started to burst out laughing. Bending over and doubled up with laughter. He could not stop it until his sides screamed and his cheeks started to hurt.

Trying to calm himself down again, Dean sat up again, patting the shoulder of the seriously confused and worried looking angel.

"Cas... Cas. One day you might kill me." he said, still laughing and whipping away a few tears of joy from his eyes. He bent down again, setting the dry material on fire.

Placing a few bigger branches on top and blowing gently so the sparks could jump onto the newly added wood.

Right when Dean removed his hand from the angels shoulder, Castiel's eyes laid on that spot for a few seconds, before he turned his gaze towards the burning wood.

Then, he met the eyes of the Winchester who still smiled about the rather hilarious misunderstanding.

Castiel tilted his head the way he always did, when he did not understand the situation. Dean's smile grew wider at that sight and he shook his head.

"Cas..." The hunter started but shut his mouth because he actually did not know what to say about that. A voice rose from behind.

"When you're done sweet talkin', you could help me with this!" Sam said, fighting with the tent. Dean turned his head to his baby brother but kept smiling.

"No way, Sammy. You gonna do that all by yourself. I'm gonna get cooled." He wiggled his eye brows and stuck out his tongue.

"Dean..." his brother said indignant, but the older Winchester simply overheard him.

He could feel Castiel's and Sam's eyes on his back, when he started taking off his clothes, only leaving on his boxers, while walking towards the lake and jumped-run into the water with a huge splash.

When he was far enough Dean dove under water and enjoyed the sudden lack of gravity. Alarmed, the angel rose to his feet, first looking at the place where the water had swallowed the hunter, then to this very hunters brother and back.

"Don't worry about him, Cas. He can swim." was all Sam said, before commencing the fight with the second tent, hurrying up to follow his brother.

Why was the damn instruction in French? Only god would know but possibly even he had no explanation for this circumstance.

Castiel kept staring, even when Dean broke through the barrier separating water and air. He was waving his hand above his head.

"C'mon Sammy, it's awesome. Uh yeah, that's good!" Dean shivered and felt a tingle moving up his spine caused by the pleasurable feeling of the cold liquid around his whole body. It had been a while since they just jumped into a river for fun and not to stay alive.

Moving his hands through his wet hair, the Winchester began to swim a few lines. Castiel opened his mouth but was cut off by Sam who yelled in excitement.

With a "Done!" he secured the last cord of the tent and ran towards the shore.

He passed the clearly confused angel, got out of his clothes and ran towards the jetty. Like a cannonball and a loud scream he joined the older brother in the water.

Castiel stayed put, not sure what to do now. He did not like the idea of having the brothers in the water. Something told him it was wrong.

Castiel caught himself feeling. Embarrassed, he dropped his head, looking at the sandy ground, almost hoping the earth could swallow his shame.

Both Winchesters did not notice the fight the angel fought in his head. They were pretty much busy with splashing and pulling the other one under water, playfully drowning each other. Dean and Sam made a little swimming competition just to figure out, that the other one was cheating.

They completely forgot about Castiel, who was standing still, not daring to make a move, not daring to speak.

Just waiting.

Just watching.

Every time Dean disappeared out of his sight the angel stopped breathing until he surfaced again.

How long would these humans take to grow tired of that element? While Sam was swimming laps, Dean's stomach started to growl and he remembered the not yet touched fish on the shore.

"Hey, Sammy. I'm getting somethin' to eat. I'm starvin'. Shall I get the fish ready?" he shouted at his brother who was already somewhere in the middle of the lake.

He could hear his brother's voice shouting back but whatever he had said, he would not have bothered with it. Dean turned his gaze back to their camping place where the angel was still standing where he had left him, close by the fire.

Dean furrowed his brow.

_Seriously_, he thought, looking at the angel who was meeting his eyes with a slightly concerned look.

Until now, Dean had successfully suppressed the memory of his dream from earlier but now, under the angels strong gaze he could not stop thinking about it. Cursing, Dean inhaled the air and dove, this time, without surfacing the next moment.

Swimming towards the bank, he remained under water for as long as he was able to. His eyes closed, he tried to think about something else but the angel.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuuuuck, Winchester! He is not the center of your world, goddammit,_ Dean thought before he could feel a piece of wood smashing against his left hand and he practically jumped out of the water, almost suffering from a heart attack at the sight above of him.

Castiel was now kneeling on the landing stage, looking seriously concerned.

"Jesus Christ."

Dean's breath was fast, staring directly into the bright blue eyes. It took Castiel all his strength to control himself and not to do something completely ridiculous.

"Dean..." The angel started but the subject of his attention cut him off.

"Cas..."

There it was again, just another awkward moment he did not need. The hunter shut his mouth and got out of the water.

Now, that he was standing beside the angel, dripping wet and shaking his head a little, he caught his thought again and said.

"Cas, just stay away from the water. If you can't swim, I don't want you to get near it..."

In the same moment he finished his sentence, Dean had the most brilliant idea. A smile started growing in his face, when he looked at the angel.

With the index finger, he pointed at Castiel.

"You take that thing off and I'm gonna show you somethin' nice." the hunter said and went back to his car.

"But, Dean." Castiel's gaze followed the human as he walked along, doing as he ordered him to do.

Dean was waving his hand, implying the angel to follow him.

Still not understanding what was going on, Castiel walked over, the tan trench coat neatly folded over his arm. Dean withdrew the trench coat and laid it onto the back seat of his Impala.

"Dean, what are you intending to do?" Castiel asked, not able to hide his curiosity. The Winchester smiled.

"I'm gonna show ya how to swim! I can't leave you without knowing how to do so." he said, very proud of himself.

"But I don't have to swim." was the only reply of the angel.

"I'm not gonna discuss this with you! You're staying with us here, so you're gonna have some fun and this involves swimming of some kind!" Castiel did not reply on that. He simply followed the eldest Winchester to a place a little away from the fire where they apparently had enough space to practice swimming.

"Very well, let's get started, shall we?" Dean said the arms akimbo.

Sam finally had made it to the other side of the lake. He did not know how he made it at all but he said to himself, it was thanks to his constitution.

Now, he was on his way back and almost drowned due to surprise and laughter.

He kept swimming but did not turn his eyes from the two all grown men who obviously were practicing swimming.

The thought of it was already funny but making things worse was the fact that his older brother, only dressed with his shorts, was showing an angel in a suit how to swim. He increased his speed and arrived at the landing stage. When he got out of the water he joined his brother and Castiel.

"... but don't forget to move your legs as well. Otherwise you're just paddling like a dog. That's not helpful." The angel nodded, concentrating on every move the eldest Winchester did.

"So, how's it going?" Sam asked stopping beside the angel and smiling at his older brother. Dean showed him a thumb up.

"Mission accomplished. Angel knows how to survive in water. That means I can get something to eat now. I'm still starvin'." Castiel had stopped trying to imitate the movements the Winchester had shown him and was now paying attention to the brothers in front of him. Sam laughed.

"That's good news, dude. You deserve your fish now." he said joking, turning to the angel.

"What about you, Cas, you gonna stay with us the whole day? Would be fun, don't ya think?" Castiel lowered his eyes. The ground was suddenly quite interesting.

"If this is what you wish."

"Sure. Being always lonely is not good for the personality." Dean agreed, feeling a bit lightheaded now and was still grinning.

Finally he could teach the angel something worthy besides other human activities. He swung around and waved to them, making his way to the fire.

He picking up the stuff Sam had bought from the shop only to notice the huge amount of veggies. Dean made a face, wishing he would have at least bought some beef but his mood brightened when he noticed the good amount of beer in the box.

As Dean made his way back to the campfire, Sam finally saw his chance to get answers to his questions.

He knew the angel was always telling the truth, at least as long as they had started to refer to each other as 'friends'.

The tall Winchester smiled at Castiel, who was obviously still busy, following the walk of his brother with his eyes.

"Cas? Can I ask you something?" Waiting for an answer or at least any kind of reaction, Sam started to wonder.

"Has Dean... done anything special lately or why is this intense staring-thing between both of you increasing lately?" Castiel tilted his head a little, as he watched Dean placing the camping chair next to the fire and preparing the barbecue, whatever that was supposed to mean.

"Castiel, hello? Anyone home?" Sam raised his brows in the air and started to snap in front of the angels face.

Finally the spoken to turned his gaze toward the younger Winchester and opened his mouth, obviously thinking about what to answer.

"I'm aware of your question, Sam. Nothing changed in your brother's behavior. Nothing!"

Castiel tried to not look up but turned his head slightly, facing the Winchester anyways. Sam's head jerked back a little as he noticed the expression on the angels face and turned his gaze towards his brother.

How could Dean keep on staring at the angel like that? It was not bearable at all. That kind of expression was new to Sam, though.

He never noticed that kind of emotion on the angels face, it nearly seemed, the angel did not notice himself either. He tried to figure out what to call it but the only thing he came up with would have been called _obsession_.

"So everything is fine between you two? I can't really believe that." Sam said trying to focus back on the angel and even managed a little, disbelieving smile.

"Do as you wish." was all he got from the angel. It seemed the topic was over. The hunter exhaled and thought about anything else they could talk about. He was not good in small talk especially with the angel. That was Dean's job.

"Hey, Sammy. Where's the salt?" Dean interrupted his brothers hard thinking noisily. The younger Winchester turned away from the angel, looking at his brother, his face telling 'in the bag, you idiot' and sighing.

"Got it!" Dean yelled and waved the box in his hand. The fire got larger already and emitted sparks everywhere. The hunter twitched as a few of those hot sparks hit his bare legs and he looked for his trousers. He found them close by and started to shake them, trying to get the sand off of them.

Sam turned back to Castiel.

"Let's help Dean, before he dies of stupidity." he said and walked over to his wonderful big brother he, honestly, could just kill sometimes.

Castiel followed, hesitant, watching Sam start to lecture his older brother about how to prepare a proper camping fire meal and about the usage of salt in the first place. Apparently, Dean was using too much of it, the angel could tell.

He stopped a few steps before the brothers, watching them fight for the salt. When they started rolling over the grass Castiel tilted his head. He did not know why the hunters did that but he guessed it was a domination fight of some kind.

Shortly after they started fighting, Sam emerged as the winner, holding the salt box above his head, grinning. Both laughing, they focused on their barbecue again; putting the veggies and the fish for roasting.

Castiel did not move nor did he make a sound until the older Winchester turned his attention to him. Cheerful and with a huge smile on his lips he said "C'mon, don't just stand there like a lost dog. Join us down here." Dean patted on the free place by his side.

Like the very lost dog Dean had spoken of, the angel moved to the hunter's side and knelt down.

Dean raised a brow when he watched the angel move elegantly and... Dean stopped. _Winchester, hello? You in there? Elegant, what the hell...? _

Immediately, he turned his gaze back to the fire.

Feeling his eyes burn slightly, he laid his head back and stared at the sky instead, realizing, the sun had started to leave them for the rest of the day.

The first stars and the far away moon were visible already and the amount of clouds had grown, since he last wasted a look upwards.

_Time's passing by way t__oo fast_, he thought. The fun always seemed way too short compared to the daily jobs they had to do.

"Dean! The fish!" Sam reminded him and brought him back from his thoughts. The smell of the nearly done fish made its way into his nose, his brain and into his mouth.

Dean's stomach growled loudly and he grinned in gleeful anticipation to taste that beast of a fish.

He stood up from his chair and turned the fish a few more times. The skin already was crippling and burned black at the edges, he decided it was done.

Since his brother and Castiel sat on the ground, he decided to join their level, since his pants were already full of sand anyways.

Sam walked over to the box and opened it, only to retrieve three bottles of cold beer. Since Dean was busy dissecting the fish, he opened them and even pressed the third one into Castiel's hand even though he refused to taste alcohol again.

Sitting down again the younger Winchester waited for his brother to finish. Finally the hunger started to take him over too.

Just a few moments and grilled veggies and fish later, a sound arose from the brushwood next to the water and the landing stage.

Castiel was the first one who had his eyes looking at the place where the sound had come from. He furrowed his brows slightly. Sam noticed the angels gaze and followed it with his own eyes.

"What's there, Cas?" he asked but his question answered itself as soon as he had spoken. There was a horse standing close to the waters, facing the three men. Sam's eye brows moved upwards in surprise. Dean tilted his head. Castiel stared at the horse, trying to kill it with his glare.

"What's a horse doin' here?" Sam asked who rose to his feet as well as the others.

"Dunno, perhaps it got lost or somethin'." Dean moved forward, curious about the animal. "Looks strange for a horse, don't ya think so, Sammy? I mean, look at its color? Does a horse ever look kind of green-ish to you?" he said, moving closer step by step.

Sam shrugged.

"No. Never seen anything like it before." was the reply. Dean was fascinated by the appearance of the animal and walked even closer, reaching out with one hand. The horse made a few steps towards the hunter, no sign of aggression at all and bowed his head down a bit.

"You can't." Castiel's voice rose from behind, still calm but also attentive.

"Don't touch it, Dean. You won't be able to let go of it anymore, if you do so." the angel continued, moving a few steps forward, drawing his angel blade.

Dean in turn, simply looked at Castiel. One hand extended signaling 'don't do anything stupid, it's just a horse'.

"Cas... Cas, you can't be seriously intending to kill this little horse, right?" he said, smiling concerned.

"As I said, it is indeed not a horse, Dean. Not that kind you know, at least." Castiel explained but did not move any further.

"Than, what is it?" Sam interfered.

"It is an Each Uisge, a water spirit. Those spirits hunt for humans, especially children and men. When a human touches their skin they will stick to it so it can drown them in the water. You better stay away from it, Dean. I will kill it!" Determined to fulfill his duty, the angel prepared himself for the fight.

The horse neighed and moved forward, attacking the eldest Winchester without a warning. Sam could hear his brother yelling but it was too late. The Each Uisge had lowered its head and lifted Dean up onto his back.

Dean was fast, yes, but this water spirit was faster and Castiel was still too far away to help him. The result was that he, Dean Winchester, was sitting on the back of a very adhesive water spirit, having his chance for a little rodeo on his own.

Sadly he could not even grab onto the mane of the beast, since he was sitting the wrong way round, facing the wet dripping tail of the creature. The Each Uisge kicked out its legs jumping, giving Dean the ride of his life.

He kept trying to get lose and free from the skin but it was useless. Sam and Castiel tried to circle the beast but since the younger did not even had a weapon with him he could not do much than holding up his arms.

"Fuck this ride! I wanna quit right now!" Dean cursed and tried once more to remove himself from the sticky texture but it was no use. The wild creature suddenly turned around, kicked and hit the bull's eye, Sam's forehead.

The young Winchester was knocked down and the horse made its way to the water, with his meal on his back. Castiel tried to catch up to it but it was way too fast and before he even reached the shore, the Each Uisge dived under the surface.

Dean had not much time to prepare himself but he dragged as much air in as he could before his head was buried under water.

The creature's legs seemed to transform and fins spread out from its sides, making it swim even faster and dragging the prey with him.

_Don't panic, just don't panic, the worst you could do now is panic_, Dean thought eyes wide.

He moved his hands down and tried to rip on the damn black tail of the beast but the Each Uisge did not seem to react at all. Looking around frantically, Dean searched for something, for anything, he could help himself with.

Since most of his stuff was left on the land, he tried to find anything in his pockets but his search was unfertile. Feeling the first reflex to gasp, Dean tried to fight it down. He knew he could not hold his breath forever but as long as he was capable to do so, he might have a chance.

As his fingers searched his trousers for anything to save him, he touched his belt, finally his brain started working and he started tugging on it.

_C'mon, open_, he cursed in his head and tried to loosen it but right when he thought it would work, the Each Uisge turned left and right violently, making it impossible for him to get his hands in the right position.

It would not work. When it dawned on him, he felt the strength to fight weaken. The lack of air clouded his thoughts. He could not breathe. Everything in him screamed for oxygen but he could not open his mouth or he would welcome death right here.

Trying to fight against the need to gasp for air, Dean could feel his heart beating in his ears and it reminded him of being alive.

As long as he could listen to that beat he knew he was not dead yet. His head started to spin and the dark water around him added with the deepness this creature was dragging him to, began to invade his brain and senses.

A strong ache made his way through his body as he turned his head up, seeing the nearly vanished light from the surface as his mouth sucked in a flush of water. His lungs screamed for air but were refused to receive any.

A shadow covered the last bit of light, his last bit of hope. His eyes widened as the shadow got closer and he barely noticed the hand that was reaching out for him. Dean managed to tell his brain to move his arm upwards.

The remaining air escaped his lungs and left a stream of bubbles, which joyfully made its way to the surface. Finally he could feel the grip on his hand and seconds later someone pulled on his trousers.

_They won't open_, Dean thought, closing his eyes and sucking in another stream of cold water. As he felt his conscience fading, he could barely hear the sound of ripping fabric and the touch of hands around his waist.

The next thing Dean felt was the lack of weightlessness and his back laying on the steady ground. He rolled over and started to cough heavily to release the water he swallowed onto the sandy ground. Gasping for air, making his lungs protest and cause him even more pain but at least, he was alive and breathing fresh air.

The hunter rolled back onto his back, staring upwards with an exhausted expression on his face. Narrowing his eyes in disbelieve as he saw the wet dripping man above him.

"Cas?"

The angel nodded, obviously out of breath. Still feeling a little weak, Dean sat up. When he noticed the fresh air on his legs, he looked down.

"Uhm... didn't I have some jeans on?" he asked, trying to remember why they were gone.

"I... had to tear them to get you lose." Castiel answered, still trying to catch his breath again. The older Winchester turned his head to the angel, not sure what to think about that but then, there it was again. His eyes widened.

"This bitch of a son of a horse. It friggin' tried to drown me!" Dean yelled.

"I told you the water is dangerous." Castiel continued patiently.

"I get your point now." Dean said, grinning faintly at the other. A loud splash from behind interrupted their little chat.

With his eyes open wide the hunter stared at the horse which had broken through the water, galloping towards them, his jeans still attached on its back. Castiel rose and turned around, his blade in one hand, trying to protect the hunter.

The head of the creature shot forward, burrowing its teeth deep in Castiel's shoulder, pulling the angel backwards, away from Dean.

Without any hesitation, the beast turned over and threw the still a bit surprised angel into the lake, following him right away and sinking its huge sharp teeth back into his flesh, dragging him under water.

Dean tried to get up as fast as possible but he could feel his legs and muscles still ache. He had no time to worry about that and started to run back into the water.

Castiel bravely parried most of the attacks but since the water was not his element he was handicapped.

To make things worse, when the Each Uisge bit him again, air escaped his lungs and he accidently inhaled the water, sensing a sharp pain he never thought he could ever feel. Nevertheless, he made it to turn the blade in his hand and pierced the horses' neck.

The creature opened its mouth, exhaling a silent scream together with a few bubbles. The angel kept stabbing, he simply did not know what to do else.

The blood already turned the cool water around them red-ish, when the beast finally let go of him and started to disappear into the darkness of the lake.

Castiel remembered the moves Dean had shown him, trying to get back to the surface. The wounds which the water spirit inflicted on him did not make it easier.

He tried but it was hard for him, he started to feel dizzy.

The feeling got worse with every second.

In the very moment Castiel thought he could not bear it any longer, Dean appeared in his sight diving down to him. When the last air escaped his lungs, Castiel held up his arm, waiting for Dean to grip it but that was something he did not witness anymore.

He passed out.

Sam jerked up. Looking frantically around, searching for his brother and the angel but found nobody there. Grabbing his head and moaning slightly, he tried to get up from the ground. "Dean? Dean!" he started yelling. Where could he be?

He walked closer to the shore and started running as he noticed the pink-ish color of the water that washed ashore on the sand.

Searching the surface for any sign of the missing brother, he finally noticed a few bubbles near the landing stage.

Holding his breath for a second before someone broke through the surface. The water was practically moving aside, when Dean resurfaced, inhaling air deep and loud into his lungs.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, running down the landing stage.

"What happened?" he knelt down. When the older Winchester moved out of the water, he realized that he held something, or better, someone, in his arms.

"Cas..." Dean groaned, still breathing hard. On the grass, he dropped Castiel carefully, putting his fingers under the angel's nose and in front of his mouth to check for breathing. Nothing! Dean could feel panic taking over.

He looked at his brother.

"He's not breathin'. He's not friggin' breathin' Sammy." he said, his voice soar. Sam connected the points faster than his brother.

"We need to reanimate his heart and get the water out of his lungs." he said a little less panicked than his brother. How could an angel drown anyways?

Kneeling down beside the angel, Sam pushed Dean a bit forward.

"You have to give him the kiss of life. I will go for his lungs." Sam said, very serious and Dean would have started to laugh about it if the situation was not that dangerous and life threatening. However, he knew what to do, so he did what was necessary. Certainly, the angel would not mind!

While Sam started the cardiac pressure massage Dean opened Castiel's mouth and sealed it with his lips, forcing his air into the unconscious angel.

_C'mon, breathe you stupid angel,_ Dean closed his eyes trying to concentrate on his breath and Sam's steady movements on the angel.

They kept doing it until the first twitches moved throughout Castiel's body. Dean released the angel's mouth and just a second later, this very angels eyes shot open, jerking upwards and spitting out the water, which did not belong into his lungs.

Dean was lucky not to get any water into his face when it bursted out of the angel but he was not lucky enough to avoid the angels hand that slapped him unintended.

Sam's eye brows moved upwards, moving a little backwards, just in case.

"Ouch!"

Dean stared down at the angel, rubbing his cheek, which turned bright red in a few seconds. "What the hell you think you're doin'? I'm not that horse-thing!"

"Each Uisge." Sam corrected him, gaining a '_shut-up, Sam_' glare from his brother.

The angels cough drew the attention of them back towards him.

"Where is it?" Castiel looked around for the creature and tried to remember what just had happened.

"I guess you killed it down there or at least harmed it so it let go of ya." Dean was still caressing his cheek, which started to burn like hell. The angel had a pretty strong forehand for someone who had nearly drowned. Castiel tried to stand up but he was not able to keep his balance so he fell on his knees.

When Sam offered him a hand, he refused and tried again, alone. Still shaky on his feet Castiel was able to stand.

He stared at the water and Dean could swear the angel tried to vaporize every molecule in this lake.

"Hey, let's get to the fire. You have to get out of your clothes, unless you wanna catch a cold." the Winchester said and rubbed his biceps. The sun was already descending and with it the warmth. At the fire they had offered Castiel something to eat but he had refused, still fighting with his clothes, especially the buttons.

Buttons: just another human thing to waste precious time. He had never taken off any of his clothes before. The stinging wounds did not make it easier to get the wet fabric of either, it took some time and Dean could not help it but to smile at that.

They did not talk much while eating but it did not matter. The silence was not unpleasant.

With the time passing by the sun and its last rays had disappeared completely and surrendered to the dark night.

After some time, the bloody bite marks of the creature vanished from Castiel's body and healed completely. Sam had gone sleeping when his head started to hurt again from the Each Uisge's perfectly landed kick.

Now, Dean and Castiel were both lying on their backs, watching the stars. There was nothing to hear but the muffled clattering sounds of a few cicadas combined with the scream of an owl.

"Hey." Dean's voice cut through the night.

"Say, do you miss heaven, Cas?" The Winchester turned his head towards the angel.

"What does it matter to you, Dean?" was all he heard from the angel. Dean pursed his lips.

"It is your home, isn't it?" the hunter started, waiting for a respond. When the awaited reply failed to appear Dean continued.

"I never had a home. Our Dad always moved a lot with us. But then, when we met Bobby we finally had a home of some kind. I dunno, it's probably not the same but sometimes I think I'm missin' it a little. It's something you can always come back to, people you can come back to and you know it's always there." Dean shrugged.

There was nothing else to say.

Castiel sat up and turned his gaze towards the lake, staring at it for a while. The hunter tried to follow the angel's eyes but could not see anything but the lake. All he noticed was the_ 'sad_' expression on Castiel's features.

"What is it? I don't think the Each ugly-whatever will come back."

"That's not it, Dean." Disliking the idea of him changing the topic about missing heaven, Dean groaned. He noticed that the angel was staring at him, apparently waiting for him to stop thinking and paying attention.

"It is not the water spirit." the angel started.

"I... have lost my blade. I have to have it back, Dean."

"You serious?" Dean asked in disbelieve. How important could that thing be?

"It's the only weapon, which is capable to harm my brothers and sisters. It is indeed very important but... I can't get it back." Dropping his head in realization he was now deprived of another thing that made him an angel of the Lord.

It seemed like he would lose piece by piece of his own angel being each day.

"Alright! If that's the case." Sighing heavily, the hunter jumped to his feet, leaving a confused looking angel sitting on the ground.

Dean walked away and towards the already sleeping brother and his own tent.

Castiel turned his head and watched him leave, unsure what to do.

He probably should just leave but it felt awkward without any proper clothes on him. Lowering his head a bit at the thought that he really felt something like shame, imagining walking around like this somewhere else.

He would stay here then, waiting for the brothers to wake up again. Castiel suddenly turned around when he heard fast paces approaching him, passing him by and running towards the shore.

"Dean!" was all the angel could yell before he saw the man jump into the water.

An expression of pure horror on his face, Castiel got up on his feet.

Dean broke through the surface gasping for air.

A small light shining in his hand! He had brought a little flashlight from his trunk, since the moon was constantly hiding behind some clouds, making it impossible to see a damn thing on the deep ground of the lake.

Dean inhaled as much air as possible and disappeared beneath the water's surface once more. He dove down, deep to the ground, moving the flashlight that he could see something.

There was quite a lot of stuff he could see but not what he was searching for in the first place. Dean furrowed his brow when he found an iPhone.

_Who the hell would throw that away_, he wondered, noticing, he needed air.

So he swam back. Castiel did not like the idea of Dean diving again but he did not say anything. Slowly, he moved to the end of the landing stage following the light of the flashlight with his eyes.

Kneeling down he gripped the wooden plates tight which had to give in upon the force the angel used. And there he was again.

The hunter broke through the water, gasping. When he noticed Castiel kneeling and watch him, he just smiled.

"Gimme just a minute. I'm gonna find it!" he said, determined to get that blade back for his angel.

Back under water, he kept searching when he almost lost all the air in his lungs.

_Holy shit._

The dead body of the Each Uisge was lying on the ground staring at him with its freaky eyes. Dean had to resurface again.

He better got some air. This time, Dean just took another deep breath before diving again to the place where he had found the water spirits body, assuming, the blade would be there too. And he was right.

Next to the dead body the Winchester found the silver glowing blade.

Even in the darkest depths of a lake this angel blade seemed to have a life on its own. Its weak shimmer was a little strange but there was no time to bother with it.

Dean did not want to stay down here forever, so he grabbed the blade and moved back to the surface.

Resurfacing next to the landing stage he held out Castiel's blade. Surprised, the angel took it, murmuring a '_thank you, Dean_' before moving aside to let the Winchester get out of the now cold water.

"Wohoo, that's cold." he said, rubbing his arms a little to get warm again. Dean looked at the angel, who seemed glad to have this blade back.

_At least_, Dean thought. Castiel's expression showed some relief, but he was not sure about it though. When a cold breeze caught the eldest Winchester he shivered.

"Okay, bed time." he said, hurrying to the tent. When he became aware that the angel was not following him, he turned around.

"Hey, what are ya waitin' for, c'mon. You certainly won't sleep out here. Put that thing to your clothes and then, let's get warmed up." he said, moving on the very point he was standing, waiting for the angel to follow him into the tent.

He did not want to stay outside until Castiel finally stopped thinking and just did what he was told. "Dean, I don't think... maybe I should just stay here, outside and wait for my clothes to dry." the angel said, waiting a few feet away and not daring to walk any closer. The Winchester kind of knew that the angel would refuse but it was only natural, since the last time he said he could stay with him, he got angry the next day. Castiel obviously had a point there.

"Okay, listen. This time I promise, I won't be angry in the morning. I won't shout... okay maybe I will but just remind me or forgive me. Just get in already!" Leaving the entrance of the tent open for Castiel, Dean made his short way to the right side of the tent, unfolding a few blankets and some sort of flat pillows, throwing a few of them to the left.

As he noticed the angel at the entrance, he smiled.

"Don't forget to close the fly screen Cas, I don't like being the dinner for those bloodsuckers." Turning towards the opening of the tent again, the angel searched for any kind of mechanism to close it.

Finally he found something like a zipper and with a few tries he managed to close the tent.

Dean had already made himself comfortable and was lying down on his back, crossing his arms behind his head, observing the angel who looked a little lost before Castiel somehow crawl-walked to the free space on the left.

Immediately turning his back towards the Winchester and forcing the thin blanket over his nearly naked body. The hunter shook his head at this behavior and snuggled himself under the cover.

Dean felt so damn tired, but somehow it felt good to be at least tired and exhausted from a day of fun. Alright, he nearly drowned and the angel actually did drown but they were all alive in the end so it had been a good day still.

_At least the damn tent has a bigger size than the bed in the motel,_ he kept thinking, while he found himself staring at the other figure under the thin cover. Something caught his attention.

What the hell was that now?

The angel seemed to slightly quiver under the blanket but he could not feel cold or anything, it was midsummer, it was warm, they did not even need a blanket. It was just there because it was usual for him to use one.

Again, there it was, that motion, if Dean had not stared at him permanently, he might have not noticed it but it was there, that soft vibration. Somewhere deep inside him, he felt sorry for Castiel, who had saved his life once more and nearly died in the damn process.

"Cas, everything alright?" he asked, nearly cursing himself for such a stupid question.

"I'm sorry Dean. I try to stop it but this body won't listen to me." answered the low, hushed voice under the blanket. The angel moved and sat up on his elbow.

"I should go. You can't rest like this." He continued, trying to get up, but a new wave of tremors run through his muscles and brought him down again.

"No way! You stay right here. Right where you are. Don't give me that _'I shall leave'_ shit again." Dean's voice grew louder and even though he felt, like he would fall asleep the second he closed his eyes, he sat up and moved towards the angel.

"Some people are trying to sleep here!" Sam's sleepy, irritated voice was hearable from the other tent.

"Just shut up and sleep, bitch!" Dean responded and the only thing he received from his brother was a soft snore.

Dean turned his attention back to his own problems. Castiel was still shaking like there was no tomorrow. He could not bear the sight anymore.

"Cas, get your ass over here!" he said with an annoyed growl. The angel refused to do anything so he cleared his throat and tried it again.

"Castiel, come 'ere." he repeated himself but tried to lower his voice and remove the way too forceful sound in it.

It worked. Castiel slowly turned around and managed to crawl over and closer to the hunter. When he thought it was close enough he laid down again, turning his back to the staring Winchester.

Dean tried to stay calm.

He got himself up and closed the still pretty huge space between them, laying down close behind the angel and throwing the blanket over both of them. Fighting his insides and his brain, he moved one arm around the trembling thing in front of him, waiting for the shaking mess to relax.

A few seconds later, the vibrating angel seemed to freeze in his motion. Even his breath did not seem shaky anymore and Dean sighed released.

"And now, sleep."

"I don't sleep Dean." Castiel immediately replied, gaining another annoyed growl.

"Just pretend to and stay quiet. Okay?" he mumbled and closed his eyes with mixed feelings. He could not believe he was doing this but it did not feel as bad as he thought it would. Only something in his head screamed at him he should not be doing this but as always, he ignored the voice.

Dean did not know when exactly he fell asleep, he only knew that he listened to some kind of rhythm, a heartbeat, and he was certainly sure, that it was not his own.

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><p><strong>If you managed to survive through the whole chapter, you get a cookie.<strong>

**If you have any questions, suggestions or something else you want to scream out.**

**Just do se we don't mind ;)**

**See ya next chapter: The inner child**


	6. The inner child

**Updated Version  
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**Thanks for faving and alerting and even reviewing this story.  
>We love each and every comment we get ;)<strong>

**Prepare yourself for the next special adventure of our "heroes"!  
>Also, we introduce you to another beloved character of the show, who really enjoys...sweet stuff.<strong>

**Enjoy**

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><p><strong>6. The inner child<strong>

Wanna play a little game?

Something was tickling him. Flinching, Dean could feel himself returning into reality and back to consciousness. He could feel something moving over his hand, faintly touching and stroking his skin like a soft tissue.

Opening his eyes slowly, he noticed his arm was lying on top of someone next to him. Squeezing his eyes shut again, he tried to remember what and with whom he did anything last night.

He moved a little, trying to get up on his free arm. The motion seemed to irritate the one, whoever was touching him and the soft touch vanished.

Dean managed to open his eyes and stared at the stubbly skin in front of him, leading his gaze upwards into dark brown, nearly black hair and further above.

Castiel moved his head around facing the Winchester, without any sound, he just stared at him with his blue eyes and waited.

Probably preparing himself for the screams and shouts Dean mentioned the day before. But they never came.

"Mornin'." was all, the hunter said before he laid his head back down onto the pillow. Castiel felt the heavy grip on him disappear with Dean's move, he did not know why but his body had tensed the second the hunter woke up next to him.

Now, the angel was lying on his back, his gaze turned towards the ceiling of the tent, feeling the weight of Dean's arm still resting on his chest but that was not comparable to the feeling before.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, the Winchester had moved around a lot, turning the angel on his back in the process and nearly pinning him down with his well-muscled strong but also heavy arm. As he said, he did not sleep at all.

Castiel had no need for that so he found himself thinking, staring and waiting.

He remembered the way the hunter's hands had felt when they were all bloody and dirty but now they were clean and a bit softened from the amount of swimming in the lake.

When he caught himself staring at those very hands, he could not resist and started to touch them, like he did back in the motel room but this time he was able to explore them without fearing to be kicked or punched again.

Since the hunter was asleep and did not seem to notice anything of his behavior, he kept on doing so until the morning came.

Now that Dean was awake, it seemed pretty wrong to continue such a weird act so he forced his own hands down to his side.

Mumbling something into the pillow, Dean opened one eye, staring towards the pretty much naked angel in front of him and somehow managed to force himself to remain calm.

"Cas... please, tell me why and how we got here."

Castiel turned his head, facing the man to his right and tried to remember what Dean had said before he had fallen asleep. It took him a few moments but when he saw the face of the Winchester twitch a little in anxiety, he came up with the words.

"You said you didn't want me to stay outside. Also, you said I should remind you not to scream and shout but it seems you, at least, remember that part by yourself." Hopefully he did not need to explain why they were naked except for their shorts.

"And why the hell am I hugging you?" The rest of the explanation seemed understandable. God, he had not been drunk so why could he not remember?

Castiel moved, looking quite uncomfortable with the whole situation. Dean waited a second but it seemed that he would not get any answer from the angel.

When he noticed the embarrassment the angel seemed to radiate, a bad feeling sunk into his bones. Immediately he moved his hand from the angel's chest and forced it under his own blanket, moving downwards, tracing his legs and touching the fabric of his shorts.

Dean's upcoming panic vanished with the feeling of still having those on him.

He could not be that drunk, to do anything that stupid.

Watching the tent Sam kept walking in circles, the phone on his ear, listening to the older man speaking on the other end. His gaze wandered to the lake and then, to an invisible point he focused on. Bobby had called him half an hour ago but he was still asleep.

When his cell did not stop ringing Sam had simply thrown it out of his tent, hoping, he could sleep a little longer.

What a mistake.

After that he was fully awake, therefore he crawled out of his tent and started searching for his cell which had started ringing again. When the younger Winchester had answered the call the first thing he heard was a loud yell and a shot.

Then, he heard somebody laughing and another shot. Alarmed, Sam had put a little distance between him and his brothers tent not to wake him up, but also to be able to talk with a normal volume.

"Kid, why the hell don't ya pick up your calls?" he heard Bobby's voice. Sam was more than just confused. "And why do I hear you always yelling and shooting, when you call?" he asked in return.

The obvious cause of the old hunters trouble answered with a "Because I keep visiting your gran'pa." Sam furrowed his brow.

"Crowley?" he managed before Bobby took over the phone.

"No, Santa Clause, you idjit. Of course, Crowley, who else should I have trouble with?" Sam held his cell a little away from his ear.

"What's goin' on, over there, Bobby? Need help?"

"No, but I got you somethin' you should work on. Now stop it, dammit. Just a minute!" the older hunter said and received something like a 'yes' but Sam was not sure.

Pause.

Sam was waiting for Bobby to continue.

"Okay, listen, boy. I've picked up something really interesting you should check out. Orlando, Disney World, several people swore to be attacked by plastic alligators, flying popcorn cars and raptors. Some other people have disappeared during some magic tricks. Others said they have seen real ghosts. I don't know where you're right now but you should pay those guys a visit. It seems to be something big goin' down there."

Sam's eye brows shot upwards.

"You serious? Disney World?" he asked, not sure if the old man really did say that.

He could hear Crowley laugh and Bobby snarl.

"Yes, Sam, Disney World. You deaf or what?" Wow, that guy was really pissed.

"Uhm, no but that does not really sound, you know. Why do you think it's something we should check out?"

"Because daddy said so, little boy." Crowley interrupted. That was enough for the young hunter.

"What the hell are you doin' at Bobby's anyway? Don't you have a home or somethin'?" he bitched back a little louder than intended. He looked back at Dean's tent, there was something moving inside, he could tell.

"Boy, that's none of your business in the first place. It's all mature stuff." Crowley said, earning another shot from Bobby.

"Just shut up, demon! Get yourself a hobby, a real one! Sam, you go there and check this out, I've got the feeling the cause of this chaos is your Trickster-friend." Sam tightened his muscles. He did not like the idea of seeing Gabriel again.

Not after he had put him and his brother into TV-Land. The memory of genital herpes was still burnt in his head.

"Okay, fine. We'll check this out. I'll call you, when we're done." Sam sighed.

"And be careful. That demon is dangerous." he continued listening to Bobby's steady breaths. "Don't worry kid, I may be old but I can handle an old prick like him."

"Oh, I'm not that old!" Crowley said, pretending do be hurt.

Sam smiled. At least, Bobby was a little distracted with his own problems and not busy in helping them fighting the apocalypse. He did not want to get him hurt. Therefore it was better when he had to deal with a low-life demon like Crowley instead of more powerful angels or Lucifer itself.

"Okay, Bobby, hear you later and shoot this bastard for me and Dean." He could hear Bobby laugh, load and shoot at the demon.

"Done, kid, Later then." With this, Sam ended the call and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

Sam turned around. He could hear some voices from inside Dean's tent. He raised one eyebrow and a giant smile appeared on his face.

As quiet as possible, the young Winchester moved towards his brother's tent, his smile getting bigger with every step.

At the tent, he listened for a moment before he started knocking on the tent, speaking loudly.

"Good morning, sleeping beauties! Time to get dressed and ready for the road! Or do you sweethearts still need five more minutes?" Sam could hear his brother cursing which made him start laughing.

_That is worth my death_, he thought, walking around to pick up his clothes to get himself fully dressed.

Sometimes he wondered how Sam could still walk around alive as often as he mentally wanted to kill him.

Dean managed to sit up. He slightly shook his head, trying to make the dizzy feeling go away and crawled towards the exit.

Castiel watched him in silence and followed him slowly. Since Deans trousers had been swallowed by the lake, he had to get new ones.

He would not walk around naked in this kind of company. Technically he was not naked at all but he still felt stripped.

The hunter did not wait for the angel to follow and made his way straight towards his beloved car, passing his brother and gaining a suggestive smile.

"Why so happy, Sammy? Had a wet dream?" he said, ignoring the wish to throw arrows right into Sam's face. The younger Winchester did not react to his older brothers teasing and still grinned, as his brother opened the trunk of his Impala, searching for their costumes and clothes bag.

"Disney World." he simply said.

Dean's head jerked up, looking past the opened trunk.

"If you're joking than this isn't funny at all, Sam. Disney World is no topic for jokes!" he said grumbling and tried to make his way into his new jeans.

"I'm not. Bobby thinks we should check that place out. He even thinks our 'friend' Gabriel could be the source of whatever is going on there." Sam made his way around the car looking straight towards his brother as the thought sank into him.

The words 'Disney World' made the older Winchester fight his insides. Sam could see it. He wanted to jump in joy and behave all adult and serious like at the same time.

It just ended in a weird, nearly painful to look at expression on Dean's face.

"How does Bobby know it's him?" he asked while he pulled another layer of clothes over his head.

"Well, possibly the generic trickster behavior: scaring people, fooling around with them, sweets disappearing, and attractions walking around and attacking visitors. It fits him."

"Sam is right, it could be Gabriel but what exactly is Disney World?" Castiel made his way over to the brothers, still busy trying to close the buttons on his dirty shirt. Since the Winchesters were busy talking he made his way over to his clothes.

He scratched his neck since he did not bother to get his suit free of the sand. Blood stains were still visible at the places where the Each Uisge had bit him. Dean could not believe his eyes.

"Cas, you can't be seriously wearing that again! You won't get any of that sand into my baby!" he said bending down into the trunk again, searching for another pair of pants and a nice white dress shirt.

"But... it's okay I don't have to get in the car." The angel finally managed to close the last button, when Dean made his way over to him.

"Listen. When clothes get dirty, we wash them. We don't wear them 'till they are worn out. Get that off and change." he ordered the angel, who did not seem to follow the Winchester at all and just stood still, his fingers fumbling with the last button again.

Dean sighed heavily.

_Unbelievable_, he thought and could hear a quiet laugh behind him.

Sam could not hold it in any longer as he watched his brother and the angel arguing how to get properly dressed.

"We don't have time for this right now!" The older Winchester laid the clothes down on his car and started to help the stupid, slow angel with his shirt.

Undressing an angel was not exactly something he wanted on his 'Great things I did in my life' list but right now, Disney World called for him.

Nearly ripping the mouldy piece of cloth from the angel, Dean threw it behind them and was about to bend down, to open the angel's trousers but stopped in the motion.

_No way_, he thought and turned around throwing the shirt in Castiel's arms.

"Get dressed and throw the rest of your clothes in the trunk." Dean said and turned away from the nearly confused looking angel.

Castiel tried to seek answers from the hunter's younger brother but the only thing he got was a cheeky smile that confused him even more. Before anything could get even more awkward, he decided to just pull over the clean dress shirt and to save any questions for later.

While the angel got socially acceptable again, Sam followed his brother, a few questions in mind but when Dean rose his hand he did not even tried to ask any of them loud.

"So, how do you think we're gonna get to Disney World? It's a long trip from here and we both know we have not even enough money for one ticket for one fucking day."

Contracting his brows, Sam stared at his brother in curiosity.

"Dude, how do you know? You've seen the prices lately?" Dean felt caught for a second and smiled as it was normal to know such things.

"It's not that I check them daily, ya know?"

"Is this looking alright?"

The Winchesters got interrupted again and looked past the car. Castiel walked towards the side of the Impala tilting his head a bit to see if the brothers were still behind it.

The pants were a bit too tight actually but Castiel did not mind that.

There was just one thing he somehow felt missing on him, so he bent into the open window and looked for his trench coat.

Dean could not help it but stare at the sight of the freshly clothed angel bending into his Impala. Then, the elbow of his brother brought him back into reality.

"How are we supposed to get there? We have Castiel remember? Just ask him!" Sam said whispering while the angel unfolded his coat and slipped in it, covering the new look partly with it.

Dean took a few steps towards the angel, patting his shoulder and smiling a little.

"As I said, feels better right?"

Castiel opened his mouth to answer but Dean continued immediately.

"So, since our 'friend' Gabriel found a new playground, how about we pay him a visit? I mean, to save time you could get us there with your great angel magic!" Dean grinned hopefully and cheerfully when he patted the angels shoulder a few more times.

Sam hid his face in his hands. Why could his brother not insert at least one tiny 'please' in his sentences?

They needed to get there but Castiel seemed to consider what it was, that made the Winchesters want to meet with the mighty archangel.

"Cas? Disney World may be there forever but we won't." Dean kept on babbling, turning his face around and meeting with his brother's gaze. Sam walked closer and tried to save whatever was left of their chance for a fast travel.

"If we find Gabriel, he might know something... anything that could help us fight Lucifer. Also, we could just save a few hundred people from his murderous sense of humor. That's why we need you to get us there, please, Cas."

When Sam finished his plea, he received an annoyed look from his brother. Forming a soundless '_what_' and Sam focused on the angel again. Castiel had lowered his head for a few seconds, only to look up at the younger Winchester again.

"Show me where that Disney World is and I'll get you there." he finally said moving his shoulder out of Deans touch and following Sam to his side of the car, where the Winchester retrieved a map from somewhere under the seat.

Placing it over the bonnet, Sam moved one finger towards the place they were staying right now and deeper towards the coast.

"It should be around here. Orlando... Florida. I guess it's alright if you don't get us in immediately. We can approach from the outside and maybe you could get us in from a save point."

The younger Winchester smiled at the angel who followed his finger and the route. Dean felt like both of them ignored him at some point, so he decided to get their attention back and pressed himself between the map studying males.

"If possible you should get my baby there, too!" he just said, still happy with the thought, he would finally see that damn place he always saw on TV or read from the magazines.

"I will try, to get you both as close as possible." he paused and already placed two fingers on each of the Winchesters foreheads.

"You're car will stay here, Dean." he continued, looking fierce at the older Winchester.

"Wait but...!"

The next second the Tims Ford Lake, the grass and most important, his car was gone. "Dean..." Sam turned around and his eyes widened in astonishment.

"Oh! C'mon!" he could not believe it. His baby was alone on some lonesome break and they did not even have the time to give back their tents.

"Dean!"

Sam tried to get his brother back in the real non car-sexing world and gripped him tight by his shoulders.

The older Winchester turned around to face whatever Sam was staring at. When his eyes met the sight in front of him, he could nearly feel tears building in his eyes.

Dean's mouth fell agape. He could not stop staring.

He simply could not. His younger brother did the same thing. They were really standing in front of the entrance to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Sam started laughing in disbelieve.

"Dude, we're at Disney World." he said, pinching himself and his brother to make sure, they were not dreaming. In the meanwhile, Castiel stared at the two brothers. He tilted his head in this typical way.

"Dean, Sam. Are you alright?" he asked and received a loud yell from Dean.

He started jumping, hiding his hand in his hair, and not turning his gaze from the entrance gate.

Fortunately, Sam did not start jumping but he was fighting inside, Castiel could tell.

There was no way anyone could answer his question, at that moment, so the angel kept waiting. Castiel's gaze moved over the people around them. Apparently, nobody had noticed that they just appeared out of nowhere.

But he noticed that it seemed to be common to start jumping and screaming when approaching those giant gates. Some humans even started to cry.

Castiel furrowed his brow a little. He did not understand this human reaction. Was this some place the humans worshipped?

The angel turned his attention back to the older Winchester.

"Dean." he said patiently but a little louder than usually. The Winchester turned around, looking at the angel with a huge smile, completely happy being here, or whatsoever.

When Dean finally noticed the concerned look on the angels face he tried to calm himself down, no matter how hard this was. He cleared his throat.

"Cas... we're at Disney World!" he said, still smiling. Castiel did not reply on that. Why should he. He had brought them here, they wanted to come here. And now, they were here. "Thanks Cas." Sam said who was back in reality.

The angel looked at the younger hunter, thinking about what to say, then, finally.

"You are welcome." Sam forced a smile on his lips. He simply could not stand this angels staring. Hell, this was so awkward. It was like he could see right into his soul.

Sam cleared his throat.

"Dean, we've got a job to do. So, please, would you start to focus!" he hissed a little infuriated. It started to be embarrassing, parents and children were already looking at his brother and laughing, while others said to their children to stay away from that man, who apparently had gone mental.

He turned to Castiel and smiled in an apologizing way.

"It's his first time here, you know."

"I can see that." was the plain respond and Sam wondered why he actually had said this in the first place.

Then, finally, Dean turned his attention to his brother and the angel, receiving a bored look from Sam.

"You done?" Dean shrugged and smiled.

"Sure. Let's get goin'." Sam grabbed his brother by his arm.

"Not so fast. Or do you know where Gabriel might be? No! Therefore, we do it the usual way: FBI! And don't start to freak out every time we pass by an attraction." Sam said, waiting for his brother to promise to behave all mature.

"Cas, do you still have the shield and the ID I gave you?" Dean started watching the angel to search the pockets of his trench coat. When he found the desired object he showed it the Winchester.

"Very good, then let's go!" The eldest Winchester practically dragged the others to the information desk.

Dean took out his shield and the ID showing it to the lady behind the desk. "Agents Hetfield, Sambora and Walsh." he started.

"We're here to investigate the accidents that happened recently." The woman at the desk seemed surprised.

"Oh really? I haven't received any notice that somebody would come!" she said, searching in the computer in front of her. Sam smiled."That's because we usually don't make appointment calls. If you want..." Sam handed her a little business card. "...you can call our superior. He might help you."

The woman accepted the card but did not bother with it. She picked up the phone dialing a number and held up the index finger, indicating the three men to wait.

"Hi Chealsey, it's Elli. I've got three cuties here. Special Services or somethin'. Do we have some bedrooms available we could spare?"

Pause.

"Oh yes, fantastic. It was a nice weekend, darlin'. Just wonderful. What about you?"

Sam turned his head to Dean, his expression saying 'what the hell' and his brother just could shrug.

A look at Castiel's face told Dean, that the angel was very interested in the phone the woman was using right now.

He could not help but smile.

_Cutie, huh?_ The older Winchester caught himself thinking about what the lady had called them.

_He certainly is no cutie, when he's mad_, Dean thought narrowing his brows, still looking at Castiel. When the angel met Dean's gaze with his own, the hunter turned around. Sam noticed that behavior but did not say anything.

"Bye bye, honey. Yes, I'll tell them, don't worry. You'll see them soon enough." The woman hang up and looked at the three men again.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any standard free rooms, but you can have the two princess suites." She keyed something into the computer and then printed something out.

_Princess suite?_ Dean looked at his brother, searching for any help with this but Sam looked as surprised and speechless as Dean was.

Then, she reached over the desk.

"These are for you, darlin's. Three passes for the individual resort areas with full access for your investigations." The woman put three more cards on the desk.

"These three cards are your room key cards. Don't lose them, sweeties or you won't get into your rooms. Besides, according to our policy I have to inform you that you can stay here for three days only. If you need more time you have to contact your superior and he has to book rooms for you." Dean smiled.

"Guess you don't make exceptions for the feds, hm?"

"No, we don't! But you have at least three days to go. Oh, and your rooms are at the Contemporary Resort Hotel, close to the Magical Kingdom Castle Theme Park. Jonas will pick you up and get you a lift over there."

Before Dean could say anything, Sam interfered, smiling.

"We better get started with our investigation, then." he said, punching his brother into his ribs. The woman smiled.

"Okay, as you wish. Have fun!" she said smiling and moved one arm into the direction of the giant gate.

Dean and Sam smiled, nodding and left, Castiel following them quietly. He still did not understand the why but he would follow anyway.

"Okay." Sam said, handing Castiel and Dean their individual pass and the key cards for the rooms. Castiel did as the brothers did and put on the pass around his neck but he did not know what to do with the key card.

Dean sighed and took it from the angel, putting it to his own.

"You stayin' by my side. Don't want you to get lost in here! And don't you dare to leave my side!" Dean could not help but his voice was a little too commanding but the thought about his car alone at some place far away from him was not bearable, now, that he was finally able to use his brains again. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Dean, be glad he brought us here! He also could have refused to do so and you would have to drive the whole way. You didn't even say thanks!" The older Winchester gave his brother a 'shut up, bitch' look before picking up a map of the Resort.

"That's not very helpful Dean." he could hear his brother groan, apparently annoyed now. "Fine, then." he looked at Castiel.

"Thanks, dude!" The angel did not reply just looked at the Winchester in his usual way. Sam sighed. His brother certainly needed some lectures in behavior and politeness.

"What?" Dean asked but his brother shook his head.

"Nothing. Let's start planning what we're gonna do now." he said, taking a look at the map and inhaling the air.

"Huge area to cover, I'd say." Dean nodded.

"Then, we should separate!" Both hunters looked up in surprise. Until now, Castiel had not bothered with helping the brothers but he was not dumb either. They had not much time, so they had to hurry. Sam nodded in agreement.

"Yes, you're right. It surely is the best to split up. You think you can manage it alone?" he asked receiving a threatening look from his brother.

"No, Sam. I already said, he's not gonna leave my side. I won't let him walk around and creep the shit outta people." Both, Sam and Castiel looked at the older hunter. Sam more in the way saying 'he's not a baby, he can do that, Dean' and Castiel curious.

"But, Dean, in that way we can find Gabriel faster."

"No discussion about that, Cas. You stay by my side every damn second we're in here, you got that?" Dean almost forgot to breathe when he saw the angels eyes.

His expression did not show any stir of emotion but his eyes were fierce for just a very short moment. The hunter could feel a shiver crawl down his spine.

"If this is what you want me to do, Dean."

Sam raised one eye brow.

Was it disappointment in the angel's voice he had heard? Apparently, he became more and more human in that matter. He sighed.

"Fine, you go together." Sam pointed at a place on the map with the naming 'Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park'.

"I assume that's the place where the alligators attacked." Dean nodded.

"Fine, we'll check out the Disney-MGM Studios area. Let's see, if we can find somethin' there." The eldest Winchester looked at Castiel who had kept his eyes on him the whole time. He raised his brows.

"We gonna have some fun there, what ya thinkin'?"

"We should get going, Dean. The woman said we don't have much time." Dean rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes, I really don't know what you're good for!" Sam closed his eyes for a moment. His brother did not really say that out loud, did he?

The younger Winchester looked at Castiel and he did not like what he saw in his face. The angel was fighting. His fists were even shaking while he clenched them.

"Dean." Sam grabbed his brother's arm and drew his brother aside.

"Dean, what the hell are you doin'? You nuts?" Dean shrugged.

"What? I'm right, aren't I?" Pause.

"No Dean, you're not. I dunno if you noticed, but you told a friggin' angel that he is useless. What's wrong with you? Seriously? That's not normal? Since when do you treat Castiel like your personal servant?"

Dean pushed his brother away earning a confused look from the people around them.

"I'm alright, okay! Mind your own business." he said and turned around, walking past by Castiel.

"You commin' or what?" he said and the angel did as he was told: following the older hunter.

Sam could not believe it. His brother was behaving like a real asshole.

How could he call the angel useless? Especially, because they called him every single time they needed help or did not know what to do!

The Winchester sighed. If this kept going on like this they never would make it to defeat Lucifer.

Not, if they killed each other first. Sam made his way to the entrance of 'Animal Kingdom', pulling his notepad and started asking a few of the staff members if they had seen anything or heard, that seemed not normal.

Despite the fact that they had found sliced and dead bodies in their park.

Since it seemed that every employee that had been present the day, the visitors got attacked was on 'vacation', his research did not produce any kind of results.

They could not even tell him if they had noticed a short man, walking around with sweets and always a happy smile on his face.

Every single one just shrugged at his description and got back to work. _Yeah don't help the feds, sure, _he thought to himself and sighed in annoyance. Maybe Gabriel was already informed that the Winchesters were around.

How could they know?

Sam continued his search in the 'Wild Africa' Zone of the 'Animal Kingdom' and tried to focus on any strange sign, behavior or just a stupid piece of chocolate paper. This park was obviously busy keeping it clean so you could even eat from the ground.

The Winchester leaned on the railings in front of the 'Meet the crocodiles' compound and shook his head at the obviously fake animals. Those puppets did not even move as real as he thought they would.

_Maybe as kids we would've been scared_, Sam thought, remembering how they watched the preview on TV with disbelieving amazement.

It seemed the place was not very popular anyway, as no one else was around here. No, he was wrong.

There was indeed a visitor. A small child had passed him by and was now climbing onto the railings right next to the fake crocodiles, which seemed to turn their attention from the Winchester towards the spoken boy.

Sam raised his eyebrows when the puppets started to turn their heads and he could hear some of them growl deeply.

It did not sound like it was coming from the speakers under him, instead he could have sworn, one of the crocodiles even blinked a few times.

He tried to remind him that everything here was fake and just there to entertain the kids but when these fake crocodiles started to run into the water, right where the boy was playing around on the railing, Sam could finally tell that something was wrong.

The kid was in danger, his brain started to work and he ran towards the boy who was already on top of the railing.

"Get away from there!" Sam yelled and the boy who was now balancing on top of the railing, turned his innocent looking face towards the hunter.

The kid was obviously busy gnawing on a bubble gum lollipop and blinked a few times at the fast approaching adult.

When Sam was nearly at his side, the boy's right foot slipped from the railing and he lost his balance. He let out a little shriek when he fell backwards and right into the green water under him.

"Shit!" Sam cursed himself and did not even hesitate a second. He jumped over the barrier and dove into the water, at first he could not see a thing and he had to surface again. Gasping for air, he looked around. The crocodiles were fast and with a huge splashing noise they all entered the pool, swimming directly towards the hunter.

_Those things are just puppets, just puppets_, Sam tried to convince himself and dove under once more, the boy could not have drowned in this shallow pond.

When his hands found the ground, he started to wonder where the hell the kid had gone but his thoughts were cut off when a sharp pain ran through his left leg. Screaming he lost a huge amount of air and nearly inhaled some of the dirty water.

He looked around and tried to see, one of those puppets had seriously smashed his jaws into his skin. If that thing would start to behave like a real reptile, he knew he would not stand a chance in this element.

Sam looked around in panic and his panic grew, when he noticed three more of these puppets swimming straight toward him.

Even though the crocodile ripped on his leg, it did not seem to do any huge damage towards his skin.

Still it felt like the teeth would sink in any moment. Sam managed to take a hold on the monsters huge head and poked it in the eyes several times.

He could not tell if the beast felt pain or not but at least the grip on his leg weakened a little. When he went to destroy the other eye, the crocodile finally let go of him and he could manage to kick it out of his way.

Nearly out of air he finally surfaced, gasping and panting he tried to crawl ashore. Scaly feet blocked his way out of the pond.

Sam moved his hand down to grab his colt but the reptile was faster. It opened its mouth and tried to swallow the Winchesters whole being with one try but it failed to lift him up properly and just made him fall back into the pond, right on top of another of those animal puppets. The hunter kept fighting, stabbing and trying to get away but somehow these things would not let go of him.

When he was dragged under water once again, he stared towards the railing above him.

His eyes widened.

The boy was sitting on top again, licking his lollipop and swinging his feet back and forth. He was not even wet or scared at all, that could only mean one thing.

Sam got tired of being used as a gnawing toy for puppets and just pulled at one of the crocodile's heads until it snapped, tearing the puppet apart and causing it to creak violently.

He threw the broken thing aside.

On all fours, he made his way out of the filthy pond when a shadow bowed over him. Sam looked up and as he realized that it was one of the employees, he felt his shame level rising.

How long did that guy watch him fight against these beasts?

"What the hell where you doin'? Did one of our 'evil' creatures eat your wedding ring or your camera?" the old man said, laughing into his short white beard.

"You're lucky we have these cardboard crocs in stock, otherwise I would have to order new ones and that would have cost ya, young man." the staff member said, giving Sam a hand to help him crawl out of the pond.

The Winchester turned his gaze towards the crocodiles, ready to protect the staff member but there was no need.

All of them had returned to their normal 'open mouth, shut mouth' motion and sometimes, they wiggled with their fake tails.

"Somethin' like that, yeah." Sam managed to say, still heavily breathing. His gaze met the railing but, as he thought, the boy was gone.

"You're pretty wet, boy. Shall I get ya a towel or do you prefer a long walk in the sun?" the old man continued as he bowed down towards the broken puppet and started to drag it towards the 'staff only'-signed door.

"No, thanks but have you seen the kid that was sitting there a minute ago?"

"Did ya swallow too much water? Except you, there was nobody here. You sure you don't wanna come with me and drink a nice little cocoa with marshmallows?" the man grinned, showing his blank white teeth.

Sam turned his attention towards the old man and looked at him, uncertain what to do.

"I'll help you to carry the mess but I've got some research to do. I'm not on vacation." The young hunter bent down and together with the old guy he dragged the broken crocodiles away.

Something was wrong with that guy, Sam just could not tell what exactly, that was what made him worry.

Maybe it was the fact, that old geezer came out of nowhere, he did not know for sure, since he was busy fighting cardboard animals.

Right after they had left the 'Animal Kingdom' and entered the room for the personnel, realization hit him. The Winchester was not that dumb to put one and one together but he would play along for now, if it was necessary.

The old man was stroking his back and stretched it a bit before he turned his attention back to the FBI agent.

"Thanks, son. My old bones seem to fall apart each day." the man said with a nice, grandpa like smile. Sam started to fumble with his pockets.

He considered calling Dean and telling him, that Gabriel knew they were here but something told him it was not the right time now.

"Hard working schedule, huh?" the Winchester asked with curiosity, still pretending, he did not know who and what the old guy really was. He received a soft nod and observed each move the older man made.

He set a pot on the fire and filled it with some milk, grabbing a package with cocoa powder and started to heat the mixture.

"So, since you invited me in, I guess you won't call for anyone to get me arrested for 'killing' the attractions. Right Mr. ...?" Sam played along, taking a look around in the little staff office. Apparently it was stocked with all kind of sweets and bags of more sweets.

He was not sure how that could be a good disguise to surround yourself with the stuff you love but who was he to understand the thinking of an archangel?

He could not even manage the certain one who was intensely hanging around with his brother lately.

The old guy grabbed an open bag of marshmallows next to him and turned around towards Sam, slowly taking one marshmallow out of the bag and grinned perky.

"You my friend, you can call me Gabe."

Dean was pissed. Sam, his o so great baby brother dared to ask him about his behavior? _Who's the demon blood sucking freak in the family_,_ certainly not me_, Dean thought following the map in his hand, Castiel by his side.

Since they had separated, he and the angel had not talked at all. The Winchester could only tell that the angel was not interested in talking, the way he looked at him. It was one of those creepy gazes the angel was capable of and Dean was not sure whether or not to mention that.

However, right now, he had other problems.

First, he kept thinking about what his brother had said to him, even though he tried to focus on the job. Second, they had to find Gabriel before anything worse happened.

Approaching the, in Deans eyes, only possible place for 'real' ghosts, the 'Tower of Terror', he sighed at the look of the long line of people waiting for their turn.

Lucky for him, that he had a pass and a shield!

"Okay, Cas. Let's get this thing done." he said and searched for his ID in his pocket.

"How do you know that this would be the place?" The Winchester looked at the angel.

"Well, it's called Tower of Terror. Where else should ghosts appear if not there? Don't forget, that's Disney World. It has nothing to do with real ghosts." Castiel turned his head towards the giant burned looking facade of a hotel.

Dean was waiting for a moment before he continued. "Get your ID. We're goin' in."

At the counter Castiel and Dean showed the man their IDs. The supervisor of the building, introducing himself as Warden Mitchell, guided them the way to his office.

"Agents, what can I do for you?" Mitchell asked.

"We're here to ask a few questions about the people who swore to have seen ghosts! You know something about it?" Pause.

"And the government sent you because...?" Dean smiled. "...of a reason which is none of your business." The Winchester finished the sentence. The man growled low.

"Listen, we want to get through this as fast as possible. Just show us where it happened." Mitchell nodded.

"Okay, come with me." he said, walking in front of the two men, guiding them the way to the staff's elevator.

"Some of the staff have said it too, you know. Not only visitors. They have said they'd seen real ghosts, not the ones we created here." Getting in the elevator, the man pushed a button. "So, what did they see?" Dean asked.

"Well, they said, they have seen pale people flying over the floor." Mitchell shrugged.

"They first thought, they were working there to scare the visitors but then, those guys... ghosts... whatever, attacked the staff members." Castiel moved his head to look at Dean, opening his mouth to say something but the Winchester cut him off with his hand.

"Where are those employees you're talking about? We may want to speak to them as well."

"That's not possible, they've all quit." A low sound signaled them that they had reached the desired floor. When the doors opened the only thing they could see was darkness covered with lighting dots. Screams could be heard from far away.

"The visitor's elevator is at the end of this floor. We're using mirrors, glass and light to fake the ghosts. They appear as soon as the elevator doors open. They are connected by a mechanism so they can interact with each other." Dean nodded moving forward and looking around.

"Can't see a thing. It's pitch black." he said.

"Well, there's a switch over there." The supervisor crossed the room and worked on something before a muted light illuminated the place.

"Nice. And that's working? Really?" The man shrugged.

"It's working quite well! Nowadays, people like to be scared." Castiel walked around on the floor. Searching for some traces of the angel but could not find anything in particular.

He already wanted to go back to the others when the electric switch was pushed and the ghosts appeared. The angel tilted his head. He could not understand why somebody would enjoy such kind of thing. And then, he felt it. There was something wrong but before he could do anything, he flew across the floor, landing in front of the Winchester.

"Cas?" he asked bending down.

"Dean, there is something wrong." Coughing, the angel stood up, staring into the darkness in front of them. The lights started to flicker and moved unsteadily.

"What's goin' on? That's not supposed to happen!" Dean cursed.

"Just go back into the elevator. We're gonna handle this." Both men could not even say 'bye' so fast was the other man disappearing in the elevator, leaving them alone.

As soon as the man was gone, most of the lights were overloading and blew up.

"That's not good." Dean drew his gun, switching it from secured to charged. Both, the hunter and the angel, could see them.

There were many of them, Dean counted at least nine. Over the ground floating humanoid creatures covered in green glowing light. Dean made a face.

"What the hell? They're no ghosts. They look like they've escaped the Ghostbusters." He said, indignant about this bizarre picture.

Castiel simply looked at Dean, not knowing what to say about that.

"What?" Dean asked, pointing his gun at one of those 'ghosts' and shot. As to be expected, nothing happened at all. Cursing, the Winchester put his gun back at its place staring at those things in front of them.

"They are not real, Dean." Castiel interrupted him in his thoughts.

"No shit, Sherlock."

When one of those fake ghosts attacked Dean he tried to punch it as a reflex. Since this thing was not real he fell through and landed on the ground.

Moaning, the hunter tried to stand up but instead, he flew across the floor, like Castiel did before.

Unlike the angel, he hit one of the glass parts for the reflections. Dean could feel the broken parts cut through his flesh.

Then, he flew into the opposite corner of the place. Castiel grabbed a loose metal bar and hit the fake ghost but nothing happened. Now it was him who landed in the walls. Standing up, Dean cut himself at a shard.

_C'mon, dammit_, _there has to be a way_, he cursed internally. "Cas, c'mon. We can't let a bunch of fake ghosts beat us!" the hunter said and rose to his feet. So did the angel. "What are we supposed to do? They do not seem to have a weakness for iron and salt." "I know. Let's just not give up, okay?" With this, both men started to punch and kick, not causing any harm except to themselves.

Covered in blood and sweat, Dean's breaths were short and fast. The angel did not look much better either.

They were both exhausted. How could they not? They were fighting the air for twenty minutes now, nonstop, and without any result!

_How long are we supposed to keep doin' this._ Dean leaned at the wall trying to catch his breath. He turned his head, Castiel was by his side. And they were surrounded by those fake ghosts.

"Great. This is not funny anymore, goddammit." The Winchester moaned. One of the fake ghosts approached them, probably to give them another flying lesson but the angel moved himself between Dean and those fake things.

And then, it was Castiel who was smashed into the wall.

_Why is he always doin' this?_ Dean certainly did not understand this angel. But what he understood was the fact, that he protected him against whatever had come until now. Gritting his teeth, the hunter rushed through those appearances kneeling down next to the angel. "C'mon. Don't give up." Dean looked up at the ceiling.

_It's worth a try_, he thought.

"Gabriel. I know you're here you friggin' angel. Stop this shit. That's not funny anymore, you kinky little bastard."

"Dean. Stop." Castiel laid his hand on the hunter's mouth, who just gave him a confused look. "He is still a powerful archangel. You can't talk to him the way you talk to me!"

Not sure, what he should think about this, Dean fell silent. It took the angel one more moment before he lowered his hand.

"You have to show him respect, Dean." the angel continued earning an angry look from the Winchester.

"You serious? This prick ran away from home and is killing people now. And you're telling me I should respect him? No way. He's not better than anyone of those other winged assholes I have met. Forget it!"

"Dean!" Castiel's voice was mixed of patience and anger.

"You are the one who wants something from him, not the other way around. If you want him to stop this, stop commanding him. He will not follow your orders."

Pause.

The hunter pursed his lips.

"Fine. Then, tell me. How are we supposed to make Gabriel stop this shit? Any idea? If you wanna crawl in front of his feet, fine, but I won't." Without a warning, Castiel grabbed Dean at the collar of his jacket, turning around and pressing him against the wall. The hunter winced at the sight of the angels face.

He was infuriated.

The old geezer swallowed the sticky, soft sweet and smiled once more as he had just told himself a joke he did not know before.

Sam held his breath as the white beard and hair gained color and the small man, still being small, recovered his youth.

"Hello Sam, it's been a while." the angel said with a sweet smirk on his lips.

"Gabriel." The Winchester knew it but still, the sudden change of the angel's appearance made him feel uncomfortable. He knew the archangel was powerful and he should not strain his luck any further.

Gabriel would not kill him, he knew he would not or at least he would not kill him and let him stay dead. No fun with dead people after all.

Sam tried to not show his discomfort and set on his own little smile. Before he could start to ask his millions of question, Gabriel waved his right hand in the air.

"It seems we have to skip the cocoa and marshmallow part. Unfortunately your brother and little Castiel seem desperate for my attention." He said and threw the bag of marshmallows at the young Winchester.

Replacing one sweet with another, he started to nibble on a lolly and a second later, he was gone, leaving the stunned Winchester with the boiling milk.

The blue eyes were burning right into him.

_Not again, please_. A shiver ran down the Winchesters spine.

"If you don't show me any respect, then show him some, at least. He might be the most powerful ally we have and I won't let you ruin this." Castiel had moved too close, the hunter could feel his warm breath on his face.

He felt uncomfortable. Somehow, the angel scared him. His behavior scared him, to be precise. As a reflex Dean tried to push Castiel away but the angels grip was too strong.

"Cas, if you don't let go, I'm gonna kick your ass, big time!" Dean's voice was low and rough. He could not stand this angel being so close to him.

The angel tilted his head in curiosity.

"How do you want to do that? How do you, as a human, want to hurt me?" Castiel pressed Dean into the wall receiving a painful groan.

"Cas... stop... hurts." The angel tilted his head looking somehow satisfied.

"This hurts? Do you want me to heal you, so you can keep offending me? Is this what you want, Dean?" With every word, Castiel's voice grew louder and finally, yelled the hunter's name.

The Winchester looked directly into those bright blue burning eyes of the angel. There was something but he could not grab it. Instead, Dean just asked.

"What happened to you?" Surprised, the angel widened his eyes, letting go of the hunter and moving backwards.

"I don't know." Ashamed, Castiel lowered his head, looking at the ground.

Somebody clapping his hands interrupted the awkward silence between the two men. Both, Castiel and Dean, turned around to see Gabriel standing at the end of the floor.

"Guys, that was really entertaining, you know that? You should consider a life as actors. Hmm, Castiel, how does it feel becoming so... how shall I call it, emotional?" Castiel lowered his head again.

"Oh, don't look so sad. It's just emotions, right? You get used to it. I did too. It's much more fun with them as without. Believe me." Gabriel gave Castiel a supporting wink before he turned to Dean, who, apparently, did not know what the angel was talking about. Gabriel cocked his head.

"Seriously? How can somebody be that dumb?" He shook his head, putting a lolly in his mouth.

"Well, whatever. You know, Dean-o, Cassy is right. You should respect me, or at least pretend you do, but talking to you is like talking to a donkey, I guess. You're doin' what you want, right? Commandin' everyone around as you please." Dean snarled. "I'm not letting others do what they don't want to do, you sweet-obsessed chicken wing." A smirk appeared on Gabriel's face.

"Really? You sure?"

Castiel raised his gaze back to the archangel. They had a job to do.

"Why do you scare those people, Gabriel? Those killings, what is it good for, especially at such a strange place?"

"Cassy, this is no strange place. This is Disney World. People's wishes come true at this place. It's a little fun paradise. You'd understand if you had no stick up your ass." Dean smiled at that. At least, they agreed on one thing! Suddenly, something started to vibrate in his pocket. As a reflex, Dean reached out for it, getting his cell in his hands.

"Sammy? Yeah, know that. Where are you?" Pause, Dean listened to his brother while Gabriel turned his attention back to the other angel.

"I really wish I could say, I pity you for what you're feeling, but somehow, I think you should be grateful. Even, if it's for that..."

Pause.

"That has nothing to do with the reason we wanted to find you." Castiel interrupted him. He would not have done it on any other topic, but for this one, he felt Gabriel should not interfere.

They came here to stop his murderous fun and maybe they could even get a new hint about Lucifer's plans or any possibility to cut through them.

Annoyed with the unbroken graveness of his angelic brother, Gabriel rolled his eyes. The humanization was not going in the same direction his own went.

He enjoyed having fun, playing games, eating sweets and enjoying pleasure of all kinds but the angel in front of him, seemed way too busy to stay overloaded with suppressed anger. That could not be healthy at all.

Dean kept rambling on the phone and argued with his brother how fast he could come to the 'Tower of Terror' and how the hell they would convince the archangel to behave the way they wanted.

Meanwhile Sam had a few problems with the over boiling milk Gabriel had left him with.

Gabriel smiled compassionate.

"You know. Ignoring those emotions is not good. But I do understand that it can be difficult, especially with him." Subject of this conversation growled loud and shouted 'bitch' back into the phone. Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"Why him?" The archangel looked at Castiel, not awaiting an answer. Especially not when the angel himself did not even know what this was all about.

"Cassy, I certainly don't get your taste." Shaking his head, Gabriel moved forward. Castiel remained silent. He did not know what to say. Why did the archangel not talk about something else but his problem? When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked up, meeting the archangel's gaze. Gabriel was smiling.

"Don't worry, Cassy. I've got a gorgeous idea that will even put a smile on your face." he said, before snapping his fingers.

Next thing they saw was a giant white building shaped like a ball.

The giant big glowing sign stated 'Epcot'. Castiel looked around, they were among other people. Sam was standing in front of Dean, his phone at his ear and staring at his older brother. It was the same with Dean. The angel moved his gaze back to Gabriel.

"What are we doing here?" The archangel just shrugged, smiling at the approaching Winchesters.

"How about we, let's say, play a little game.

To my conditions of course! If your friends win, I might consider telling you some other way, to get Lucifer back to where he belongs.

If they lose, well, we can discuss that later." Dean and Sam put their phones back into their pockets. Dean did not look much happy about the whole zapping them out thing but Sam held him back.

"Gabriel, that's not funny, you know. Try somethin' new." he said, forcing a smile onto his lips.

"So, what's this all about?"

"This place is full of smiling children and happy adults. Yeah, even old people enjoy the fun shows and they even say it makes them feel younger again." While he kept talking, his eyes moved towards the not amused Winchesters and back to the confused looking angel.

How could a simple place with fake ghosts and fake animals and rides and shows make anyone feel happy?

Happiness, how did that even feel?

"Here're the rules!" Gabriel raised his voice again and was about to give instructions, as Dean let out a loud snarl.

"So what makes you think we follow your rules or play any of your stupid games? The last time we played along, you lost remember? Why do you think this time will be different?"

The Winchester was simply amused.

He would not work with Gabriel on his conditions, not if he could avoid it.

"Dean!" Castiel and Sam said coincidentally looking towards the big-mouthed hunter.

"Well, as far as I'm informed, you want something, from me. So you better win this game. I will win both ways anyway." Gabriel continued and sucked happily on the sweet cherry flavored lollipop in his hand.

Dean felt like everyone around him was knowing things he did not know and that each and every one of them was angry at him for not knowing what was going on, so, he decided to stay quiet, at least for the next few minutes or seconds, whatever it would take the archangel to finish his speech.

"Since I left heaven, I started to appreciate everything you got down here. Not only your little emotions but also the things humans can be capable of. It's a pity that our father didn't bother to grant us a bit more than gratitude for being alive. You can do so much more. You die easily, sure, but at least you experience life as a beginning and an end, not as an endless task without any signs of redemption or accomplishment. All my brothers wanted, was to make him, our father, happy but even though he didn't grant us the ability to feel certain emotions, the feeling of jealousy emerged in some of us. Anyway, I'm running off the track."

He cleared his throat and caressed the tip of the lolly, glaring at the younger Winchester in the process.

Grinning as he got a rather confused look from him, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"The game, I have in mind has only one goal to accomplish."

"Spit it out already!" Dean interfered once more, gaining a '_shut up Dean_' look from his brother and a nice hit with Sam's elbow.

Still playing around with his sweet, Gabriel ignored the hunters little interruption and took a few steps away from the angel and the Winchesters, before he turned around again and smirked.

"The challenge is for you, to show to my brother, to show Castiel, that life's not focused on anger. Life's not just about existing. Life is there to be lived. Life can be as sweet as a piece of cake. Show him that even sometimes, in dark hours, you can have a moment to enjoy yourselves and the ones close to you."

"Could you please talk in a way we get what our task is? What about cake?" Dean said and stared at the archangel with a blank expression.

"Make him smile, you idiot!"

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><p><strong><strong>Cliffhanger? <strong>**

**No? Yes?**

**Hopefully you enjoyed reading the new chapter. **  
><strong>If you have a little problem with Gabriels behaviour...just close your eyes and wish it away ;)<strong>

**Next Chapter: Smile, will Dean make it?  
><strong>


	7. Smile

**Updated Version**

****Welcome to Chapter 7 of Reasons! ****

**7 is always a magic number... in this case is kinda like a fairy tale.  
><strong>

**We hope you enjoy reading as much as we had thinking how the hell we should write it!**

**Enjoy**

* * *

><p><strong>7. Smile<strong>

If you want to get rid of the devil

Dean cocked his brows, opening his mouth to say something but closing it again when nothing came out.

The hunter looked at his brother, than back at Gabriel, finally at Castiel. He tried again, opening his mouth, shutting it again.

Gabriel smiled, very satisfied with the situation the three men in front of him were in. Castiel was the first one who was able to speak.

"Why would you want this to happen, Gabriel?" The archangel sighed, opening a chocolate bar.

"I hope you know that there are more important things than entertaining Castiel? We have a fight goin' on. We need to fight Lucifer and the hordes of angels who are currently after our asses." When Gabriel did not bother to answer the older Winchester turned around, running his fingers through his short hair.

"This is ridiculous." he said, laughing out in despair.

Sam stepped closer to Gabriel.

"He's right, kind of. We have to find a way to beat Lucifer and end the apocalypse."

Pause.

Gabriel bit into his chocolate bar watching Sam furrowing his brow.

"Sam, you can't tell me you didn't notice what's goin' on. You know as well as I do, that, if they don't get things straight, it will only cause more trouble you can't afford now. Don't tell me I'm wrong, because I'm not!"

This time it was the younger Winchester who sighed. Indeed, Gabriel was right, he had to admit that.

"Fine, okay, yeah, you're right." Sam said, and moved his hands over his jacket. He was still soaking wet.

"By the way, thanks for the crocodiles, Gabriel!" Sam said sarcastically. He moved his head to his brother.

"What happened to him?" "We had an encounter with ghosts." Castiel answered with low voice which made Gabriel just smile.

"It's not completely my fault, dear brother." The young Winchester looked at the angels alternately, connecting the points with each other.

He nodded understanding.

Before Sam could say anything his brother moved in front of the confused blue eyed angel. Staring at Castiel, he commanded with a low voice.

"Smile!"

Hearing his brother commanding the angel, the only thing Sam could do was to run his hand over his face.

Gabriel pursed his lips when he heard the younger Winchester murmur 'just great'.

"Dean-o, I don't think this is the right way."

"Shut up you chicken wing. I don't have time to friggin' play your games." Dean replied, throwing a death glare at the archangel.

Turning his attention back to Castiel, he commanded again.

"Smile!"

But the only thing the angel did was to tilt his head, narrowing his eyes.

"I don't know how to smile, Dean."

Pause.

"Dean-o, you're forgetting, Cassy is not like me."

"And I'm friggin' glad about that." the eldest Winchester replied vicious, making a face like he did not know whether to cry or laugh. The archangel simply shook his head.

"You better know that you can have it the easy way or the hard way. And believe me, when I say, you don't want the hard way, Dean-o." Dean stepped unwillingly backwards.

Castiel, who had kept himself out of this conversation, interrupted the two men by stepping between them.

He turned his gaze toward the Winchester.

"We should not waste time, Dean. I trust that you know how to smile and what makes you smile." Castiel stopped, lowering his head, thinking. "I believe you will find a way to make me smile."

"I'd love to see him try." Gabriel grinned victorious.

There was no way the dumb human could make this angel smile, not even if he tried hard. Victory was his and he knew it from the start, the rest of the day would just be fun to see the older Winchester try and his angelic brother, well, he would spend his day thinking about something else than heaven, hell or the apocalypse.

When he noticed the younger Winchester was tugging on his wet clothing, Gabriel turned his attention to Sam.

He enjoyed the slightly see-through of the tall mans clothes but for the hunters health and for the 'poor' kids in this park, he decided it was not the time to stop and stare for a while.

The archangel could have simply dried and cleaned Sam's appearance from the place he was standing, but he decided to walk closer instead.

Since the Winchester had pulled his wet top out, obviously to remove it and just close his wet jacket, Gabriel interrupted him and started to tuck his shirt back inside, gaining a surprised jump from him, as the wet, damp clothes were dry and clean again.

"We're in Disney World. You shouldn't walk around like a bunch of party poopers. Let's change that." he said with a huge grin and with a snap, the FBI suits were replaced by their civil clothing.

It seriously felt great to be an archangel.

"Uhm, thanks?" Sam was not sure if he really should be thankful or if he should start to scream about personal space like his brother always did.

Dean looked down at himself, the torn and bloody clothes were gone, but when he touched his back, he could still feel the sharp pain were the glass had cut him. It would not take long and the blood would start to ooze through the new clothes too.

As if Castiel had read his mind once again, he placed a hand on Dean's chest. If the hunter had a mission to fulfill he should be in full health and not be bleeding all over the place.

"Was about time!"

The older hunter was glad the pain was finally gone and stretched his back a few times. The angel turned his face away, facing the distance and tried to swallow the new upcoming anger inside him when Gabriel grabbed his arm.

"This is your day little brother. What would you like to do first?" he said cheerfully and replaced the angered look in Castiel's face with confusion.

"Let's go to Space Mountain! Or Splash Mountain! Or we could go to the Haunted Mansion! It's supposed to be way better than the Tower of Terror." Dean started to list which places he wanted to visit and drew the attention of the angels and his brother towards him. He smiled uneasily at the awkward looks he received.

"Dean!" Sam threw his brother an angry face and pointed towards Castiel with his head.

The older Winchester just perked his eyebrows up.

What did he miss this time?

"It's not easy being so selfish, right Dean-o?" Gabriel said sarcastically and shook his head.

"Where do you want to go first, Dean?" Castiel ignored Sam's and the archangel's objections and turned his gaze towards the, now happy looking hunter.

Gabriel's mouth fell agape when he heard his brother.

That would be a long way to go!

The archangel sighed. Dean gave the archangel a 'who's the king, bitch' look, placed his arm around Castiel's neck and laid his hand on his shoulder.

"I know a place where we can see you smile for sure!" The angel stared at the hunter with the same confusion as usual when Dean said something he did not follow at all.

Hopefully, the Winchester knew what he was doing and where he wanted to go.

For a moment Castiel just felt the sudden weight of the others arm on him, before he finally looked straight at him.

"Hey, before both of you get lost inside each other, there's another rule for the game. You only have time 'till, let's say, midnight. When the clock strikes midnight! Neither sooner nor later." Gabriel tried to remind them that they were not alone here. "The magic hour." he added with a soft grin.

"Wherever that place is, Dean, let us go there." Castiel finally said and lowered his gaze again. He did not understand the 'magic hour' reference but he surely knew, that there was not enough time to waste.

He had to smile if the archangel wanted him to. He had to, for the brother's sake. For the sake of them all, to gain a little bit of information it was worth to try hard.

The angel got caught off guard when Dean made a few steps forward, his arm still around Castiel's shoulder and dragged him towards a huge map, showing the 'you are here' sign.

He placed a finger in the air, followed the possible directions they could take and decided for one, as he pointed at a drawing of waterslides, pools and a pretty huge chute with a snowy white building on top.

Sam and the archangel followed the duo and when the younger hunter noticed which place his brother had in mind, he growled deeply.

"Seriously? I've been swimming way too much lately!" The lake vacation had been fun but somehow he could still feel the scaly creatures kicking at him.

"Fine Sammy! You decide where to go than or shut up?" Dean snarled and removed his arm from the angels shoulder, not noticing the slightly displeased look on Castiel's face in the motion.

Sam made his way towards the map, passing the archangel and studied the area.

"Let's go there!" he said a few moments later and laid his finger onto the map. Dean followed his motion with his eyes and stared at the spot his brother was pointing at.

"Splash Mountain? There's water too, Sam."

"Might be but it's way closer and I don't have to swim. I rather get wet than swim in some pool. Not with that guy around." Sam threw a slightly annoyed gaze over his shoulder towards the archangel which, to his surprise, seemed to be gone.

The hunter furrowed his brows for a split second.

"Seems, we have to go and enjoy ourselves without him!" Dean said with a bright smile on him, as he noticed the loss of the archangel.

"Splash Mountain! Great choice Sam! The theme song is so catchy!" When Gabriel was standing right beside them again, both hunters send a curse in the air and nearly jumped at his sudden reappearance.

"I'll never get used to your goddamn angel-zapin' methods!" Dean cursed once more, sending an angry view towards Gabriel.

The archangel ignored the older Winchester, having a bite into his candy floss. He held the treat under Sam's nose.

"You want some?" The hunter shook his head, forcing himself to smile.

"Well then, Splash Mountain it is." Castiel said, meeting Deans gaze one last time before the Winchester moved forwards, shouting a

"Let's get goin'."

20 Minutes to Midnight

The fireworks had already started when the three men arrived at the giant castle in Magic Kingdom. Gabriel had disappeared before they entered this Resort area. It had been a hard day.

Wherever they had gone, whatever they had done, nothing had caused the angel of the Lord to smile. Dean sighed. They had only 20 minutes left and he did not know what else to do to make Castiel smile.

He thought about what they had done today. First place they had gone to was Splash Mountain, a giant waterslide.

All four of them had sat down into little canoes being pulled trough the mountain. Little puppets were dancing and telling stories around them and Dean wished he could do the same to them as he did to the Chucky-Murder-Barbie each minute that passed.

Why did Sam want to go here in the first place?

It took them five annoying _Zip-A-Dee_-_Doo_-_Dah_ minutes until they finally got to the top, just to fall down again with an increasing speed. Everyone behind and ahead of them had screamed but not them, well, except Sam.

Gabriel had kept him quite busy.

When the ride had finished everyone got off those canoes, smiling, except Castiel.

Of course not! Being soaking wet he had just asked what the purpose of getting wet was. Dean had sighed, Sam just smiled desperately and Gabriel had started laughing.

Dean could not help it but start laughing too, when he saw one of the photos they always took at the ride.

His brother seemed to try desperately to gain his space back, as the archangel tried to 'accidently' invade it while they fell down the hill.

Castiel looked completely out of place, since everyone around him was in motion, arms up high or grabbed around somebody.

The hunter started to feel a bit sorry for the angel but it was just the start, the day would prove they could make him smile.

When Sam passed him by, he noticed that his brother had bought one copy of the photo shown above. Dean had not even enough time to wonder why, since Gabriel had dragged them all to the next attraction.

The second place they had gone to was the Haunted Mansion. They had attended to a tour through the 'spooky' old manor. In the darkness, stuff members had tried to scare them but the only thing that happened was Castiel, who had tried to get rid of one of those employees by stabbing his blade into the man's bare chest.

After that, Gabriel had to run off his feet to make this undone.

This time, it was Sam who was laughing. Dean was just staring at the angel, mouth agape. And Castiel, well, he felt the anger of the oldest Winchester. He felt more and more uncomfortable.

Around 2 pm they finally managed to have lunch. It had been quite nice and the two hunters could use the time to recharge again. Walking around so much, always being surrounded by children was exhausting. After their break the two angels and the two brothers went to the Caribbean Resort.

They had watched people getting make-up put on them to look like 'real' pirates. They had seen a giant ship with stuff members acting as if they wanted to kidnap family members.

One had even tried to convince

Dean to go aboard but he had just given the man the finger.

Attraction number four was not much better than any other attraction in this Resort. The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was a giant rollercoaster.

They had gone for a ride but with the same result. Castiel was still not smiling. He was not even pursing his lips.

Nothing! What nobody seemed to notice: with Dean's anger level rising, Castiel felt even more uncomfortable.

And now, they were standing here: in front of Magic Kingdom Castle. Dean looked at the angel. Castiel had been quiet the whole time.

The older Winchester sighed. He was exhausted and disappointed. He would have bet his ass that he could make the angel of the Lord smile but he had failed miserably.

_10 minutes to Midnight_, he thought, looking back at the sky and the fireworks. He sighed again. _There has to be somethin' that makes him smile._ Dean was determined to accomplish this goal.

The whole time, the eldest Winchester did not notice the gaze that was resting on him. Those blue eyes had been very attentive.

Whatever they had done, Castiel had watched Dean. He had watched him enjoy the rides, the food.

He had watched him getting furious about Gabriel putting Mickey Mouse ears on his head. The more he had watched the older Winchester enjoying those little things, the more he had started to wonder whether he, Castiel, a disobedient angel of the Lord, could make the hunter feel the same thing around him.

Castiel could not tell why but it made him feel sad to see that Dean was angry. Angry at him, because he did not smile!

Castiel touched Dean's upper arm. The fabric felt rough. The Winchester turned his head to look at the smaller angel. Green eyes meeting blue.

"What's up, Cas? You like at least the fireworks?" An awkward moment of silence occurred before the angel spoke. His voice low when he answered.

"No." Castiel could see Dean shut his eyes for a moment. Apparently, thinking about something. He opened his eyes again, facing the angel. Dean ran his hand over his face.

"Fine, let's go to our rooms. It doesn't make sense anymore." The hunter turned to his brother. "Sammy, we're leaving. You comin'?" The younger Winchester shook his head.

"I'm gonna wait for Gabriel. It wouldn't be nice to leave him without telling him."

Watching his brother and Castiel leave Sam turned around, hoping to see the archangel somewhere, but in vain.

There were too many people crowded around him. He could barely see his brother after three meters. Suddenly, somebody pulled on his sleeve. Sam lowered his head to see a young boy staring at him.

"Mister? I can't see anything. You are way too tall for me. Can you lift me up onto your shoulders?" Sam cocked his brows in surprise.

"Sure, why not." he said, leaning down to grab the kid and place him on his shoulders.

"Better view?" The kid nodded.

"By the way, where are your parents? Shouldn't you be rather with them instead of a foreign person?" The kid chuckled.

"They don't mind." Sam pursed his lips a little. How could parents not care about their children? "Really? Aren't you scared being all alone?" The hunter asked, moving his head a little to look up at the child.

"Oh, I'm not alone." Sam furrowed his brows.

"I have a strong man protecting me." the kid continued.

Sam stumbled and almost lost his balance when the kid on his shoulders became heavier.

"Oh, Sammy, don't tell me I'm too heavy for you." The Winchester let out a curse.

"Gabriel!" he shout out loud receiving only a "The one and only." from a smiling archangel.

Somewhere at the hotel

Dean opened the door to his room walking straight towards the giant bed, falling on it. The hunter kept his eyes shut.

He was done. He did not even bother about this horrible looking room. The princess suite! Covered in pink, white, gold and all other ugly colors he could imagine. He did not even bother about the angel standing next to the bed staring at him.

_Hold on!_ Dean's eyes shot open.

"What are you doin' here, Cas. Go to your own room!" Dean said, voice soar from the yelling he did the whole day.

Castiel tilted his head.

"You said I shall stay by your side, the whole time." The Winchester rolled onto his back, looking at the angel.

"I am just doing what you told me to do, Dean." the angel continued, staring into the hunter's eyes. There it was again, this moment Dean hated so much because he simply did not know how to behave.

"Who told you to follow all my orders?" he asked. Silence. The angel did not answer Dean's question because he was afraid of the respond. Castiel lowered his head.

Since when was he scared? The Winchester groaned loud and displeased. He rose to his feet.

"Who the hell told you to follow my orders?" he asked again.

With every passing moment he did not get a proper answer, he felt his rage level rising.

Dean tried to calm himself, remembering all the times, the angel had saved him and made him laugh but today, he simply failed to do the same for Castiel.

_And all the times he tortured and beat me_. His thoughts made it even more difficult to focus. He wanted answers and a good reason and he wanted them _now_.

Maybe they would not win that stupid little game but he could at least gain his own profit from the whole situation. Again, silence.

"Who? Cas, that's a simple question." Dean, repeated himself, clenching his fists and making his bones crack quietly. Castiel did not seem to find the proper way to calm Dean down nor could he present the answer the hunter wanted.

The day had been, different, other people might have called it the best and funniest day in their life but for Castiel, it was a different way of spending time.

He did not experience anything like that yet, so how was he supposed to react to a thing called 'fun'?

After what felt like hours, Castiel finally seemed to have found the answer the hunter wanted to hear from him and answered in a low voice.

"Myself."

When the word left his mouth, he kept his view on the Winchester, expecting any kind of burst, but the man was just standing there and staring back in an utterly astonished way.

"Wait a minute. So you're trying to tell me you commanded yourself to follow my orders and blame me for bossing you around and you're angry because you follow your own orders to follow mine?" he asked, pointing towards the angel, expecting any kind of answer to his question, but he was not even sure if he understood whatever he just had said himself.

Castiel just lowered his head, facing his 'favorite' parts: his shoes.

"I don't friggin' get it!" Dean yelled at the pink and gold ceiling while the angel made a few steps and got closer and closer each second. Stopping right in front of the hunter, he looked up to meet the eyes of the other man.

Castiel tilted his head a little, following Deans slight movements with his eyes.

"Dude, I... I can't. It's just weird. I'm not good at this let out your feelings stuff." He grinned and lowered his head only to look up again in the still innocent and waiting face of the angel. It had been so much fun today even though the angel did not seem to have as much fun as the brothers and Gabriel had.

They had tried hard but had failed in the end, nevertheless.

"Alright, that's it. Do whatever you want but do it, dude. I... I'm serious. This tension is driving me nuts. So just get over with it! Do it and just pretend it never happened. I just want these awkward moments to be gone!"

He caught himself as he got captured in exactly this kind of moment once more and started to stare straight into the face of the other man.

_Yeah, exactly these moments_, he thought as he could not resist staring back into those blue soulful eyes.

"If it really makes you happy to see me bleeding, then fine you kinda deserve it for all the shit I'd said." Dean could not believe he admitted anything like that, but right now it was not important. The day was nearly over and again they had to start from scratch. Gabriel would not help them.

"I cannot do this. It's not my needs that matter. Yours are important. You and Sam are important to be kept save. I won't do anything anymore of any kind that you don't want me to do and everything will be fine again. I just need to watch myself and leave if necessary." The angel turned around a little, avoiding Deans gaze completely and refused to look at him.

"If that's the case, it's up to me again, right?"

Dean got a hold on Castiel's coat and pulled him violently closer.

"I won't witness you dying internally each time I look at ya. That's not healthy. I want you stickin' around healthy and not looking worse each time I call ya!"

Castiel kept staring at the other man, unable to say anything and just kept listening.

"Sam noticed it even before I friggin' did! But I guess I finally understand, so, let's sort this out Cas! Just friggin' do it! Hit me, smash me to the ground, relief your anger and just heal me afterwards, but do it!"

Dean kept talking and Castiel kept staring at him. The hunter did not get anything, nothing at all but Dean kept talking anyway.

"I promise, I won't mind, I won't shout, I won't be angry at ya, if you just get it over..." Closing his eyes for a few seconds, he could feel a pair of rough lips brushing against his own, but the touch was gone as fast as it came and it felt like a false memory.

Like it never actually happened! Dean opened his eyes and stared at the angel.

Castiel made a few steps back, getting away as fast as possible before Dean would probably snap.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...! I... I..." The angel stumbled and turned around. With a fluttery sound he was gone, leaving the stunned Winchester behind.

It took Dean only seconds to change his mood from shocked, to confused and, finally, to angered.

"If you know what's best for ya, you'd better get back here again, Castiel. Now! Come back you friggin' chicken or I swear I will...!" He heard it, the sound appeared right behind him and he moved around to face the returned angel.

"Dean, I'm sorry. I promise it was not my intention to make you angry." Castiel told the hunter, refusing to look up at the man in front of him.

Lowering his shoulders, Dean sighed heavily.

"You have no idea, what makes me angry Cas." he said, quickly approaching the angel. Dean's shoes appeared in Castiel's view and he finally managed to look up, prepared to get punched, as he always had been.

Pure shock ran through his body as he felt the other grabbing him hard by his shoulders. Dean leant down in one swift move and closed his eyes.

The next thing the angel felt was a strong pressure on his lips, nothing compared to the little touch he had placed on the hunter.

Their skin was coarse and dry but neither of them seemed to mind right now. Castiel's eyes went shut.

As Dean felt the sudden weight of the angel pressing against him, he opened his eyes and parted the kiss and made a step backwards, giving them both a bit more space to breathe in. The hunter caressed his own lips absently before he turned his full attention back to the angel.

Castiel did not look satisfied yet, at least he did not look blown away, like the rest of the world, that got a kiss-treatment from Dean Winchester.

His ego was as huge as the Chrysler building, possibly even bigger in those regards!

"What?" he simply asked, since the angel seemed to have problems to focus again.

"That... was..." Castiel started, his eyes still fixed somewhere around the floor.

"That was what?" the hunter interrupted him eagerly, taking a few steps closer again. The angel would obviously not kill him for his behavior, since at least he thought he did exactly what the angel had silently asked him for.

Finally, that very angel came to a conclusion and looked straight into Dean's face, not even a single sign of shame on him.

"That seemed a lot different to the movies."

The hunter could not believe his ears.

Conflicted between asking what kind of movie the angel meant and the way how Castiel had thought this action would be continued let him feel despair.

"Let me get that right: you want it to be like they do it in movies?" Dean was waiting but it did not seem like he would get another answer from the angel since the spoken to had already turned his head around, staring at something that did not contain a pair of lips.

Something on the angels face answered Dean's question on its own!

The game was probably lost but he, Dean Winchester, could do Castiel this kind of favor, if the other seeked this kind of treatment rather than getting hit, cut and bled, he would not ask twice.

"Alright, then!"

The hunter would not wait any longer for any reaction.

He was a man of action: he was Dean Winchester!

He took another swift step closer towards Castiel and placed one hand on his neck, making the angel turn his attention straight back to him again.

His left hand found its way into the angels trench coat, moved around and placed itself on his warm back between his shoulder blades.

Shifting his weight, Dean slightly bent Castiel down and got lost in blue confused looking eyes for a moment before he placed his mouth right onto the angels. Closing his eyes in the process, he stroked his hand into the angel's hair and passionately nibbled and sucked on those lips under him.

His first move seemed to take the angel by surprise, who could not figure out what to do and where to place his own hands this time.

At least the last problem he got solved on his own. Castiel moved his arms around Dean, placing them onto his back, grabbing the man's jacket and holding onto him, until the hunter pulled him back into a straight, standing position, releasing his slightly used-looking lips in the motion.

_What exactly am I doing_, Dean thought but got his answer from the voice in his head immediately. _Y__ou've kissed an angel, again. Castiel, you've kissed him__, twice_. Shaking his head at the thought, Dean tried to watch the angel's reaction this time.

"Was that what you wanted or is there anything else I can do for you?" Waving his arms around, Dean tried to replay what he and the holy chicken wing just had done and why he even asked, if he should do any more than this.

It was not even the angel part, which made him uneasy. It was the simple fact, that it was his and his brother's friend, Castiel, the one who raised...

He felt sick right now, that was all he could think about and asking what else the weird angel had in mind was just too much for one day.

At least this time, he seemed to have done his best, since the angel did not move nor say anything and just stood still, staring straight ahead, his eyes a bit more narrowed than usual. Dean was not sure if he should regret his action or be proud of himself for making the angel look that way.

A few more moments passed without either of them saying a word, which made the hunter slightly worried, so he closed the space between them and placed his palm above the angel's collarbone.

His action was rewarded. Castiel raised his head, tilted it to the side, his mouth slightly open. The same curious expression on his face!

Dean could not help it but smile at that that sight. He even noticed that he started to miss that face from time to time and was glad to see those slightly narrowed eyes again.

"Dean?" the angel asked with the same look on his face.

"I needed to see that look in your eyes to assure, you're still in there." the hunter replied smirking and poked the angel's forehead with a finger.

Once more, they were caught in that awkward silence, staring at each other, unmoving and neither of them saying anything. Then, out of nowhere, something was odd on the angel's expression. Dean could not tell what exactly was odd about him but his eyes moved over the angels face and he finally found what made Castiel look odd.

He smiled. It was nearly invisible but it was there, in his eyes and the corners of his mouth were raised just a little. Castiel was finally smiling!

Dean opened his mouth, not sure what to say without breaking the moment apart but he got interrupted by a surprised yell from his younger brother next door.

Cocking his eyebrows he turned towards the wall waiting for anything else than just a yell.

"Sammy? Everything alright?" he called for his brother and waited for any sign of life.

Finally, he could hear some glass shatter and his brother's mumbled curses were noticeable which sounded like 'Gabriel' and something like 'get off of me'.

Without any hesitation, the older hunter let go of the angel and made his way towards the door.

He needed to check out, what the hell his brother was doing and why with the archangel.

Meanwhile, in the room next door

Sam was not pleased to be zapped without warning, especially not together into the same room with a goddamn archangel. He still tried to get Gabriel off of him but it seemed the angel did not want to leave soon.

He cursed when he stumbled against the desk and the lamp fell down, shattering into little pieces.

"Since your brother and Castiel are having fun over there, we should have some too don't ya think?" Gabriel said with a cheering tone in his voice.

"Get off." Sam did not know how to get the archangel off his shoulders, since this little guy had crossed his legs around him. He tried to force Gabriel's legs open but in vain.

"Oh, c'mon, Sammy. Don't be a spoilsport! I know you're actually enjoying this as much as I do." Sam grunted.

"You know, it's very uncomfortable to have you sitting on top of me!" Before anyone could say anything else, the door jumped open and Dean entered the room, shouting, the gun ready for discharge. His eyes went wide. He expected everything but not this! The Winchester frowned in surprise.

"Did I miss something?" While Dean was busy staring at his brother and the archangel on top of him, he did not pay attention to Castiel, who walked in close behind him.

The angel looked up and tilted his head to the side as he saw Gabriel and Sam in their current position. He seriously did not understand what was going on here and the hunter next to him did neither.

"Don't look at me like that! He tricked me!" The younger Winchester tried to pull off Gabriel's legs once more but it was no use, he was simply too strong.

The archangel, on his side, seemed to grow tired of that little game, snapped his fingers and was standing in front of Dean and Castiel.

"You won't need that Dean." With another snap, Dean's colt disappeared and instead, he was holding a bouquet of flowers. Sam was finally released from the weight on his shoulders and could finally laugh again at his older brother's stupid face.

Gabriel smiled at the older Winchester.

"Dean, you made me proud. You nearly beat me. I didn't expect you to play dirty."

Sam cocked his brows, throwing Dean a 'what is he talking about' look. The older Winchester turned his attention to Gabriel.

"What do ya mean with nearly?" He lifted his arm to take a look at his watch. The hunter hissed, cursing internally.

"You can say that out loud, Dean-o." Gabriel smiled a full-face smile.

"Just a few more seconds! Too bad, really!"

_This can't be_, Dean thought. He looked back at the archangel.

"C'mon, I made him smile, so what, screw those couple of seconds." Sam looked at the three men alternately.

He had to connect the points again since nobody seemed to talk to him. It was not that difficult to do so.

Apparently, Castiel had smiled, however Dean had managed to do that but, unfortunately, too late.

"So, you're saying all of this was totally pointless? Just another of your stupid little games?" Dean relaxed his shoulders, disappointed of the outcome. Well, not quite true though. It had not been that pointless at least.

They had a somewhat great day and it was fun. Castiel could not enjoy himself as much as Gabriel had but they tried to make him enjoy everything and even though Dean was not sure, what the hell had just happened in his room, he made the trench coat wearing angel smile, nonetheless.

Thinking about the exact way, how he had managed that, he decided they could sort that out after they had finished the archangel off, or better, whenever the angel would stop fouling around with them eventually.

"Oh you hurt my feelings now. I thought you had fun today? Some free time from the apocalypse and daily duties. It wasn't that bad huh?" Gabriel said pouting and managed to look even a little bit miserable at the oldest hunters insult. When he did not gain any sign of regret on the hunters face, his smile vanished.

"Whatever, you try to say, you won't help us anyway! You just go back into your little world and hide." Dean nearly spit out his words and ignored the sudden pull on his jacket. Castiel had been quiet since they entered Sam's room and now, he just tried to remind the Winchester that he was talking to an archangel.

He was talking to Gabriel and showed no respect. That could not lead them anywhere. Rolling his head back and groaning a little, the archangel turned his full attention toward the annoying Winchester.

"Why do you think I scared all these people? If I wanted to hide wouldn't I stay quiet instead of making you Winchesters notice? C'mon! I wanted you here you idiot! To be honest, I wanted to talk to you for free but since I saw what you've been doing with little Cassy here, I decided to make it harder for you."

Gabriel paused and waited for his words to sink into the Winchesters before he finally turned his face to look at the older brother.

"You should be grateful. You seem to have something angels fall for, especially the fallen ones. It may be a curse but I guess your huge ego wouldn't allow that thought one second." "Jealous?" Dean enjoyed the angered look on the archangel's face and smiled victorious, even though he had not won anything at all.

Sam pursed his lips and tried to stay calm and pierced his brother with his eyes instead. Gabriel wiggled his head and regained his amused state of mind.

"Well my pretties, it was certainly a nice day. I even wish it could have lasted longer." he said snickering, turned around and walked slowly over towards the still death glaring young Winchester.

Before Sam could do anything, Gabriel's hands found their way into both of the hunter's pockets, fumbling around a bit, making him jerk back and finally, he withdrew them, holding the photo, showing them on the Splash Mountain ride between two fingers.

"I hope you don't mind. I can't let you have it and show it around to everyone." Sam stared at the angel in confusion but did not even try to argue about a stupid little photo.

They could remember the day on their own.

Gabriel looked around and waited but it seemed this day was seriously over.

"Fine. Always leave them wanting more. Just remember, it's a tiny world." he finally said and twirled his wrist in the air.

"Cheerio!"

After Gabriel had disappeared the silence that spread through the room was uncomfortable. Sam cleared his throat.

"Guys, no offense but it was a long day. Rest! Now." With his fingers he indicated to go to bed. He really needed that now.

He could shower in the late morning but now he simply needed to rest. His mind was whirling around a topic he did not quite like to think about right now.

Dean tilted his head from one side to another, cracking his bones.

"Very well, Sammy. See ya tomorrow." With this, the older Winchester turned around leaving his brothers room.

The angel followed suit. Castiel closed the door behind him and followed Dean into his room again, remaining quiet. Taking off his jacket, Dean threw himself onto the bed. He hid his eyes behind his hands.

"Dean." the low voice sounded. The Winchester growled within his throat.

"I'm sorry." the angel continued.

"Perhaps, I should have... informed you earlier." The Winchester did not move but Castiel could feel the tension nonetheless.

"Dean?" The man on the bed growled again before raising his voice.

"Maybe you should have. It doesn't matter anymore. Just forget it, okay?" Castiel kept his eyes on the hunter who now, turned around, facing the angel.

"Listen. Gabriel is a dork, a real jerk. Who knows what he has in his mind."

"Dean, please. Do not speak like that about Gabriel. He is still my brother! I cannot let you do that." Castiel's voice was low but also tired. Dean furrowed his brow, sighing.

"Why do you protect him so much?"

"Because he is my brother! You would do the same for Sam." That was a point for the angel. "Okay, yeah, that's right. Nevertheless, he's a douche! He doesn't help you at all, compared to me and Sammy." Castiel kept his eyes on the Winchesters face.

"That is not true."

Dean grunted. He was slowly drifting away from reality. His mind was circling around what had just happened between him and the angel. It must have been a weird dream but it was way too real to pretend he was just dreaming.

First, Disney World and second, the bang of the day, the angel had made the first move, not himself.

_Why the hell would I even think about doing that_, the hunter thought slowly and heavily he opened one eye.

He could see the blurry figure of a tan trench coat standing close by. Castiel was obviously not intending to leave the hunter, since he was invading his personal space once more and stood right next to the bed.

His mind went further away. This very angel next to his bed was somehow strange. First, he did not smile, then, he smiled.

_Because of your kiss, Winchester!_ Dean had to admit, it was nice to see him smile. He had not seen that expression on the angel since they met and even though it was just a faint, short moment, it was worth his weird behavior.

The moment the hunter had fallen asleep did not remain unnoticed. When the angel noticed the slowing down of Dean's breaths he promptly covered the hunter with a blanket.

It was the only thing he could do to comfort him.

Castiel tilted his head. He could not help but remember the last night they had spent together in the tent. Dean, sleeping of course, and him, watching the man do so!

He had just kept watching until his fingers had started to move. It had been a strange feeling but it had not been unpleasant though.

The angel narrowed his eyes. What was so special about this man in front of him? Castiel was determined to find out!

Next door

Sam watched his brother and his guardian angel leave and shut the door. At the very second they left, he stroked through his hair and grasped into it. He focused on the huge princess pinky bed next to the huge windows.

He wanted to resist but in vain. With a small sprint, he jumped right onto the bed and made pillows jump into the air. It felt awesome and he did not even bother about any of the weird girlish colors and little plushs around the bed.

A deep moan escaped him as he felt his bones and muscles stretch out and he started to relax. With a nearly lazy kicking, he tried to get rid of his shoes, not bothering with any of the other clothes on him.

Just when he was about to close his eyes and lay his head down onto the soft pillow to finally sink into sweet nothingness, he could feel the other side of the bed sink.

"You really look cute when you're all sleepy, Sammy." Sam's eyes shot open when his ears sent the message to his brain that he was not alone anymore.

"Gabriel?" The younger Winchester jerked up.

"What are you doin' here? Didn't you want to leave?" The archangel nodded, enjoying the little jumps the Winchester always made, when he popped up out of nowhere.

"Kind of. I wanted to talk to you, buddy. In private! I promise I'll behave and won't bite you." "About what?" Sam narrowed his eyes. Gabriel smiled.

"About Cassy and your idiotic brother, of course! You have seen them, haven't you?"

Gabriel supported his head on his hand and watched as his words sank into Sam. When he recognized, that the young Winchester was capable to witness, what he had to say he moved a bit closer and continued.

"You know Sam, I dislike admitting it but, since you're the one with the brains in this team, I rather talk to you than to your donkey brother. I'm worried about Castiel."

"Dude, why are you always so persistent to stay so close to me? That's weird!" Sam was currently a bit more worried about himself than his brother's angel problems but when he recognized the stern look on Gabriel's face, he fell quiet again.

"Sam, Castiel isn't as powerful as I am. He can't stay down on earth for so long without getting affected by feelings and emotions. He's surrounded by them each day. Our Cassy never felt anything in heaven and this sudden overload confuses him. Your dumb brother is making it even worse for him to understand himself." The archangel continued, with the same worried and caring expression on him.

"So, why do you think telling me this, makes any difference? Dean's the one in charge here. I kinda know that the time he spends with Cas expanded lately but since he has only me and Bobby, that seemed normal to me in the beginning but now... Hell, I can see it in his face and still that douchebag doesn't figure it out by himself!"

As Sam kept talking about the problems of the others, Gabriel moved slowly and undiscovered closer towards the hunter.

"Yes, Sam and that's why I want you to watch over them for me. Dean needs to stop treating my little brother like a loyal servant. Castiel always tries his best to satisfy him but your brother keeps assaulting him."

"I'm not blind Gabriel. I can see that each day straight from the horse's mouth but why do you expect me to do more than watch and shut him up from time to time?" Sam seriously was not blind, he had noticed and he had tried but as always, it seemed in vain.

Dean just would not listen to him.

"I'm actually only talking about Cassy but for your brother, it would be healthy too if he'd watched his mouth. If he doesn't stop treating Castiel like a dog, than he might feel his teeth sunk in his neck one day he wakes up. Take care Sammy-boy."

He wiggled his eyebrows and was gone with another snap, finally leaving the tired man alone in his huge princess bed.

Dean had fallen asleep quite fast, not caring whether Castiel left or not.

Now, that the older Winchester was asleep the angel had enough time to watch him. Castiel appreciated that the hunters had tried to make him smile even though he had failed. The angel moved his head a little at this thought.

No, he had not failed! He actually had smiled, but too late. And now, this man sleeping so tight in front of him was angry, again.

Castiel escaped a sigh.

Dean Winchester was one of the biggest riddles he had ever tried to understand or to solve. Castiel's eyes had locked on the hunters face immediately when he heard a low snarl. He stepped back.

He remembered that smell.

It was so familiar. The scent of burned flesh! He was able to tell what stage of burning the flesh was in.

Yes, he remembered everything. Dean moved his head to see, anything, anyone but it was dark. Somehow. He heard himself groan. Was his voice really that deep? Apparently, yes. He groaned again. This felt wrong but still familiar.

Trying to see something, Dean looked down, at least he thought so. He did not know where was up and where down. There it was again, this sharp pain in his left side. He tried to touch it but he could not. His arms did not move, neither his feet.

"Hurts..." Did he actually say that? He did not know but he had heard his voice for sure.

Surprisingly, the pain stopped just to start on another place again. Dean sighed under the pain. It was on his upper arm, maybe his biceps, he could not see.

He fucking could not see. He focused "See..." was all he was capable of before he started coughing. The pain stopped again and then, something or someone turned off the dark. The light was shining so bright it hurt for a moment.

Narrowing his eyes, Dean could see somebody. A shadow first. Getting clearer with every second that passed! He felt another pain and closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, the shadow was gone.

No, not gone, Dean lowered his head. It was still there. He could see it, a little spongy but his view getting better. The shadow moved upwards again, being directly in his sight of view. Now he saw what that shadow was, or better who.

Dean opened his mouth, but his throat was already sore, perhaps from screaming but he could not say that for sure. He tried anyway.

"Cas..." The angel in front of him nodded slightly.

"Yes Dean." he answered.

"What..." was everything he was capable of.

"Look down and you'll see, Dean." the angel replied and Dean did as he was told.

Dean's eyes widened.

Panic rising inside, he moved his head to see everything. His feet were cuffed, as well as his arms. He was tied to a wall. His flesh was hanging down his legs, torn apart. Some places were burned with blisters, some without. His arms were covered in blood. He could see his own bones.

He looked down onto his chest. The thorax was open! He could see his intestines, his heart beating. Dean tried to scream when he heard the quiet voice of the angel.

"Don't Dean, you know, you can't get away. Screaming won't help you. You can't escape." The calm voice was so typical the angel's voice. Dean could feel something warm on his cheeks.

Was he crying?

The angel showed him his blade. The whole silver angel blade was covered in blood, his blood. Castiel tilted his head.

"I'm gonna end this now, Dean. It's time, don't you think so too?" he said, moving the blade down to his heart and forcing it slowly into the warm pulsating organ.

Dean tried not to scream too much...

... when he jerked in an upright position. He felt two strong hands gripping on his shoulders and when he recognized Castiel, he swiped his hands away, still affected by the painful memory of his dream.

Massaging his forehead, Dean closed his eyes. It had been so real and since the angel was standing so close to him, he could nearly feel the pain slowly vanishing from his body.

"It wasn't real, Dean." The low voice rose from Castiel, who was obviously trying to comfort him but failed all the way.

"Cas, I told you, keep the hell away from my dreams!" The hunter bursted out and threw an angered look towards the angel.

"Dean, I was not... You seemed uncomfortable that is why I woke you up. I did not mean to make you angry." Again, he did not mean it, but made it worse in the end.

Dean hid his face in his hands, rubbing over his temples, trying to convince the upcoming headache to leave him alone.

After a few moments of silence, the angel finally spoke up again.

"I wouldn't do anything like that to you. I could never hurt you like that." _So he was watching me for real_, Dean thought while he kept staring straight forward, honestly trying to ignore every word the angel used to make him feel better.

He could not make him feel better, not with these empty words.

The hunter took in a few deep breaths and eventually managed to look up at the angel.

Actually he could not believe what he saw, the angel was not even looking at him anymore, instead he was facing the floor and Dean could have sworn that he wanted to burst right through it, just to make him happy again.

The sight in front of him was just too much to bear. He noisily cleared his throat to gain Castiel's attention, moving backwards toward the edge of the bed and pulling up the blanket. The angel turned his gaze and stared at the hunter in confusion. With an annoyed grumble, Dean murmured something and pulled on the blanket once more.

_Don't make me regret my decision now_, he thought, hoping that Castiel would read his mind, even though he had said he should not do it.

When the angel finally made a slow move forward, Dean sighed with relieve.

Castiel seemed nervous but followed the silent order of the hunter. Before he could join the hunter on the bed, though, Dean snorted.

"Your shoes. Your trench coat and the blazer! Take them off. You don't wear those things in bed." The angel worked on his shoes and removed trench coat with blazer before climbing into the bed and turning his back towards the hunter, since Dean seemed to prefer it that way. The man pulled the blanket over them, refusing to say anything right now.

It was weird enough that he allowed a fully clothed angel sleep in his bed, who just had tortured him in his very dream.

A few moments passed, when Castiel felt the arm of the hunter moving around his waist, the same way he did the night before, in the tent. But this time Dean decided to do something utterly different.

He grabbed into the angels side and started to pull a little, to make the angel turn onto his back. With nearly no protest, the angel turned around, when Dean moved his arm around him once again and made him turn towards him.

Castiel stared into Deans eyes with confusion written all over his face. The hunter took in a deep breath, feeling himself growing tired again.

"I want you to sleep. Just, close your eyes and sleep, okay?" he said, hoping that he would gain another excuse why the angel does not need to sleep. To his surprise Castiel slightly nodded.

"Is that what you want me to do?"

"Yes." Dean furrowed his brows a bit and watched as the angel closed his eyes, refusing the hunter to stare into his blue eyes.

"Cas?" The Winchester gained no reaction and decided it was best to just keep quiet now. With a nearly pleased sigh, he moved his arm around the angel again and closed his eyes.

It seriously had been a long day and Dean was pretty sure, he would not wake up screaming again this time.

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><p><strong>Reviews are loved and eaten.<strong>

**Next Chapter: Of beauty and beastliness**

**... we hope to see you there again.**

**Cheerio!**


	8. Of beauty and beastliness

****Updated Version  
><strong>**

**We're pretty sure you missed a little black suited demon as much as we did, so he gets some love again...or holes from Bobby you decide.**

**Anyway!**

**Enjoy this pretty little chapter and as always, if you have any feedback in you, let it out!**

**It wants freedom!**

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><p><strong>8. Of beauty and beastliness<strong>

Mirrors don't reflect the inside

The morning came too soon for Dean Winchester. His eyes had shot open when Sam knocked on the door of his room.

He muttered and turned around just to face a silent looking angel. Well, he had not opened his eyes yet but he knew, Castiel was there, staring at him, as always.

Dean shrugged mentally, he did not care about that, it was way too comfortable right now. The warmth of the other body close to his own and the arm around his...

_Stop_.

Dean opened his eyes, not able to move. He gulped.

_Not good_, he thought.

Castiel had been in thoughts until the older Winchester had woken up. Watching the man sleep had been quite interesting for the angel.

While following every move of the hunter he had noticed some strange thoughts wandering around in his head.

He was partially ashamed of even having those thoughts in the first place.

For the next couple of hours he had just thought about telling Dean or not and now that he saw into those green eyes in front of him, he knew he had to keep it for himself. Even though he doubted this would work for long.

Dean was supposed to be his charge and he had a duty to fulfill. He could not let himself be distracted by such kind of thoughts and feelings.

"Good morning, Dean. How did you sleep?" Castiel asked, his voice a little rough. Dean felt goose bumps crawling down his back. He cleared his throat and smiled vividly.

He was not sleepy anymore.

"Like a baby." Dean had to admit that this was actually the truth. The nightmare he had before had not occurred again and he really had slept quite well. When he saw Castiel narrow his eyes, he explained.

"It's a figure of speech, Cas."

"I figured that since you are obviously no baby anymore." the angel replied matter-of-factly. Dean smiled. This angel was just weird.

"Then, how did you sleep, Dean?" When the angel repeated his question Dean cocked his brows. _Right_, he thought.

"I slept well, Cas." The angel nodded. This horrible and awkward silence Dean disliked so much set in again.

Another knock on the door almost ripped Dean out of thoughts.

"Dean, c'mon, open up, dude." The older Winchester moaned, disentangled himself from the angel and sat up. His hands ran over his face.

"Do you want me to open the door, Dean?" The hunter nodded a little absent, glad of the angels offer.

A long yawn escaped his lips when he stretched himself.

_Oh hell, I slept well. Those beds are awesome._

Meanwhile, Castiel had moved, or better, zapped to the door and opened it. He stepped aside to let the younger Winchester in.

Sam was more than surprised to see the angel without his trench coat and without his dress suit. He narrowed his eyes.

"Cas? Is there something I should know?" he asked, tilting his head trying to find the answer in the angels face.

Before Castiel could say anything though, Dean joined the questioning.

"There's nothin' you need to know, Sammy. He just stayed overnight, so he had not to wait on the roof. What did ya think?"

Dean could not even believe how fast this excuse made its way over his lips. At least, it sounded very reasonable.

_On the roof_, Sam furrowed his brows but nodded understanding.

"Well, let's get ready then! Time for some breakfast before we leave this place of joy and happiness! No need to stay here much longer." he said, rubbing his hands together and tried to act cool in the situation.

When Dean furrowed his brows too, observing his brothers weird behavior he rolled his eyes. "Something wrong Sammy? Did a pink little monster bite ya in your sleep?" He placed himself on the bed, grabbed his shoes and started to put them on.

While his brother tried to remain collected, shaking his head and making a few huffing sounds, Castiel walked back to the bed and sat down on it next to the older hunter.

Dean threw the angel a look from the side.

_You should get dressed too, Cas_, he thought and watched, as Castiel simply nodded and moved to the other side of the bed immediately, retrieving his clothes.

"Actually not a pink monster. Whatever. Could you hurry up? I wanna leave!" Sam continued, crossing his arms over his chest. His facade was breaking quickly.

Dean started to grin victorious.

His brother just could not keep anything from him.

"So, I guess you hadn't quite the awesome sleep I had with my personal dream catcher!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about but fine. If you're satisfied, I couldn't sleep that much. Busy... thinking." Dean just shook his head and enjoyed to tease his brother.

In all those years, Sam had not managed to keep everything for himself, he tried it but in the end, he would always reveal it by his own acting.

Dean jumped to his feet, grinned and made his way to his brother, leaning a bit closer to him and tried to speak in a low voice.

"If you want I can lend you Cas for the next 24 hours!" Smacking the younger hunter on his shoulder, he turned around and looked towards Castiel, who had finally managed to pull his dress suit and trench coat over and was actually busy, with something on the floor.

"Do you have to wish the ground goodbye or what takes you so long?" Dean spoke up again, hoping, his little joke about sharing him did not insult the angel.

Finally, Castiel rose to his feet and walked around the bed slowly, nearly stumbling over nothing but the floor.

"Cas? Are you hurt?" Dean could see that something was odd about the angel. He wasn't moving the same at all.

Instead of the elder Winchesters worry, Sam could not resist to grin, since it looked like the angel had serious problems walking straight.

He was about to ask Dean once more, if he did not miss anything special that night, when the angel eventually managed to move around the bed, facing the ground all the time, like it would burst open and swallow him if he did not do so.

The Winchesters stared at him in confusion and followed his gaze towards the floor. When Dean found the reason for the weird walking, his eyes widened in disbelieve as opposed to Sam, who bursted out laughing.

"I cannot fix them. I tried but it does not work." Castiel said, looking up and felt ashamed to admit, that he had such a minor problem right now.

"Are you pulling my leg, Cas? You seriously have to!" Dean could not believe what he saw but gladly his brain worked the problem out for him.

The angel's problem was simple, he could not tie his shoelaces. He never needed to do so, so he never tried it before.

Now, the laces were loose and he could not walk steady ahead.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I will just move without walking." he said and demonstrated by fly-zapping himself a few feet closer towards them.

"Yeah from now on every human will start screaming. Good idea." Shaking his head nearly violently Dean had no choice and just got down on his knees right in front of the angel. As he reached out for the laces, he could hear his brother laugh and snicker next to him.

"Oh Dean, don't forget the square knot so they won't open up again!"

"Shut up or bend down, bitch!" Dean yelled angrily at his brother and turned his attention back to the angel's shoes.

_Wait a moment_, Dean remembered yesterday.

"How did you put your shoes on, yesterday at the lake?" he asked.

"I slipped in, as you would call it. But it does not work now, have I broken them?" Castiel replied curious.

Dean smiled at this.

"No, you didn't." He still could not believe, he had to do that but somehow it reminded him of those days, when he had to do it for Sam, a much younger and more innocent version of course.

Each day, he tried to teach him how it was done but his little brother seemed to enjoy those moments, with his older brother by his side or better, at his feet.

That thought made the hunter grin a little and he finally finished to tie the shoes in front of him and looked up to the angel.

"Done. You're now able to walk again." With a slight smirk, he stood up from the floor again. Castiel concentrated on the hunters head the whole time and when his face got in sight again, he managed a little smile combined with a nod.

"Thank you, Dean."

The spoken to felt another one of his little brothers elbows poked into his side. Sam witnessed it for the first time that the angel showed something like joy on his face.

"Does that mean, Dean flipped the switch in you and you're going to grin at us all day, Cas?" Sam said, showing a big smile himself.

He tried to enjoy the sudden show of feelings on the angels face, instead of emotions of other kinds, which just had crept him out before, was this one quite a sight. Castiel just tilted his head and the smile on his lips vanished in the motion.

"Great job, professor. You confused him, if he doesn't do it again, I blame you. Now let's go. I could swallow a whole melon right now and afterwards another and hotdogs and maybe some omelet and maybe a nice slice of apple pie and..."

"Yes Dean, you're hungry. We got it." Sam interrupted his brother's fantasies, turned around and led the way towards the huge stairs of the hotels auditorium.

The older Winchester followed him a few steps, before he turned towards Castiel. As expected, the angel did not seem to dare to follow them.

_You always wait for an invitation_, Dean thought and sighed heavily.

"C'mon Cas, we're leavin' afterwards anyway. Just stay with us." he said and walked a little faster, to catch up to his brother.

As he reached the entrance of the dining hall, he took a glance over his shoulder, searching for Castiel but he could not see him on the stairs or above.

Frowning, he was about to enter the Disney like decorated hall when he stopped in his motion and noticed the angel right next to him, staring into the great hall with hundreds of hungry, eating and talking people.

Dean wondered how he could even believe, that Castiel would have left them without any words and shook his head in amusement.

He kept wondering though, why he had felt a low wave of disappointment inside of him, when he thought the angel had seriously left. His thoughts got cut off when he noticed Sam waving towards them from a free table, already piled up with different types of exotic fruits and bottles.

Before he moved to his brother, Dean caught the curious look on Castiel's face next to him.

"Amazing what humans do to enjoy their food, eh? C'mon, Sam's waitin'!"

Tapping the angels back slightly, they finally entered the hall and Dean was sure, he would not leave before he was filled to the top with everything that looked good and expensive.

Who knew whenever they could enjoy something exclusive like this again?

An hour later, they were still sitting on their table. Both men had shoveled so much food in that Castiel was expecting them to explode sooner or later if they kept doing this.

Concerned, he kept watching the Winchesters until Dean started coughing.

He started hammering his fist against his chest, choking.

"Dean?" Castiel asked when the hunters face turned red. The angel looked at Sam, helplessly seeking for an advice.

"You have to slap him on the back. He just ate too much! Nothin' to worry 'bout." Castiel did as he was told.

He slammed his hand on the older hunters back and it seemed to be helpful indeed. Except for the fact that Deans face was now in his apple pie!

Sam started laughing and earned a few confused looks from other guests.

When he heard his brother grumble a '_thank you Cas_' he laughed even louder. That was a sight to behold!

Castiel lowered his sight.

"I am sorry, Dean." he said, handing him a napkin so the hunter could clean his face. The older Winchester glared at his brother. For this, his baby brother deserved to be punished. But later! First things first. Dean cleared his throat.

"Fine, if everyone's ready, Cas can you zap us back? I don't wanna stay here for any longer!" When the angel moved his hands to touch the hunter's forehead, Dean insisted.

"Woooh, not here. We're goin' back in our rooms. We don't wanna freak out some innocent people!" he said, grabbing Castiel's hand and lowering it again.

Just a few minutes later, all three men were back in their room.

"Alright! Let's get us back to my baby. I hope it didn't miss me too much and I swear to god if I find any bird poo on it I will...!" Castiel looked at Dean, his expression annoyed.

"Please do not take my father's name in vain." Sam just smiled and Dean threw his hand up in defense. "Won't happen again!"

They did not bother in checking out or anything else, therefore, they just grabbed their stuff burned the key cards and access passes and left without a trace of ever being there. The cooling ash was the only sign that somebody had been here.

The next second the hunters opened their eyes they were standing right beside the '67 Chevy Impala. Dean turned around immediately and inspected his baby.

"Aah, baby, I missed ya. How you doin'?" He opened the door and fell into the seat, gripping the steering wheel.

"That's good." Dean purred and leaned back into the leather. "Dude, you've left your car for just a day! Not a month or somethin'." The older Winchester did not care about the look his baby brother gave him, he just gave him the finger and with this, the discussion had ended. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Dean, move your ass outta there. You're gonna dismantle those tents. Meanwhile, I'm gonna tell Bobby we accomplished the mission." Dean moaned.

"C'mon Sammy. You expecting me to do that all alone?" Sam shrugged.

"Castiel surely will help ya, right." The angel in question nodded slightly.

"I shall do so."

"Fine."

And now the discussion had really ended. Sam went aside to call Bobby and Dean moved himself out of his beloved car.

Dean pointed to the tents.

"Let's get started before the bitch starts complaining again." Castiel tilted his head.

"Why do you call your brother a dog, Dean? I do not understand the meaning of offending him." The Winchester could not help but smile.

He turned his head to the angel, while he started walking.

"It's not like I'm really insulting him. I'm just bullying him. He does the same with me sometimes. So don't mind it, Cas." The angel nodded.

There was not much he could do but trust the hunter. Castiel knelt down next to Dean, watching him pull out the nails which secured the tent.

The angel walked over to the other tent doing the same what the hunter did. He pulled out the nails, loosed the cover and rolled it up. He put the poles next to each other and fixed them with an elastic band.

For Castiel it was far more complicated than for Dean and he was glad, when the hunter gave him a hand with it after dismantling the other tent.

"Let's store them in the trunk. We'll give them back later." Dean said, noticing the abrupt turn of Castiel's head towards his baby brother, ready to fight.

Sam walked around the Impala slowly, waiting for the dial tone to be replaced by the sound of Bobby's voice.

When the called one finally picked up, he could hear him murmur something that sounded like 'son of a' before he turned his attention to the young man.

"Sam, I didn't expect ya to call so early! Did ya find this trickster-angel and smacked his bottom a few times or what?" The old hunter seemed less stressed, even though Sam could hear someone else around him.

"Well, you could say, we managed, talked it out and in the end, we got nothing but we're alive. At least something!"

Sam did not feel the need to talk about any details to bother Bobby with, it was not necessary for the old man to worry about more than he already did.

"Fine then. Listen, we... I mean, I found something that might save us a bit of time to think about, how we can stop the apocalypse.

We should have thought about it earlier but whatever. If we could destroy the current vessel of Lucifer, he will seriously have a hard time to find another one that will not burn right away." Bobby was fumbling around with some paper.

Sam just nodded, forgetting again he was talking on the phone and waited for his friend to continue, when suddenly he could hear the old man curse on the other end again.

"I'll do the rest."

A familiar voice from nearby made the young hunter jump. Crowley had appeared right beside him and snatched the phone out of the Winchesters hand.

"Thanks Bobby, I'll be home before midnight. Bye!" he said and hung up, throwing the phone back into Sam's hands.

Placing his hands back into his pockets he rewarded the confused Winchester with one of his patronizing smiles.

"Crowley."

Sam took a few steps backwards and stared at their new guest, turning towards his brother and the angel for a second, only to look at Crowley again.

"What are you doing here? What did you do to Bobby?" "Relax, we worked together. Doing some... proper research." Showing his teeth in another wide smile, the well dressed man made a few steps forward.

The smile on the demons face froze, when he noticed, how the angel of the Winchester brothers drew his blade.

Dean saw the reason for Castiel's defensive behavior and got to his feet in a split second, walking towards the demon in fast steps, even passing the angel in the process.

"Crowley. What do you want? You better have a good reason or just go back where you came from!" Dean welcomed the demon with one of his death glares and was about to draw his colt, to at least hurt or ruin the suit of the demonic bastard right before him.

Castiel had approached them too, his angelic blade still ready to do what needed to be done, just waiting for any sign or some kind of order.

"Dean, Bobby said that he'd find a possibility to throw some stones at Lucifer and even to slow down the apocalypse."

The younger Winchester raised his arm and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, to stop him from doing something stupid.

"We should probably listen to him." Sam continued. Since nobody seemed to attack, Castiel finally lowered his guard but kept his weapon in hand.

"Remember the times when we said we don't work with demons? I miss these times." Dean said and shot one bullet straight towards the already gone demon.

Murmuring and grumbling, the older brother kept his eyes on the new position of the demon that had saved himself a few feet towards the Impala.

"I saved your ignorant little butt last time and that's how you thank me? Dean, I'm hurt!" he said with a mix of amusement and anger. A thin line between both emotions!

"Yeah, thanks for letting me suffer because of your angel phobia!"

The hunter could not express how much he disliked to be in the demons debt but remained calm anyways.

None of them seemed too proud of the current situation and silence fell over the odd group. Dean eventually decided to not shoot at the demon anymore, put his gun away and took in a few breaths.

"Why did you come here? Bobby could've told us everything. So why exactly are you here?" Sam managed to ignore the need to punch his brother's guts and focused on the demons words instead.

"The same reason as always, Dean. We have to kill the devil. What else?" Crowley answered, not waiting for any response.

"The one million dollar question is: how are _we _gonna do it?" He looked around and met the eyes of the hunters and the angel, lingering at those blue once for a bit longer.

"No one? Fine. Since I'm such a generous guy, I got something that might be of interest for you. Actually, your old friend Bobby helped me figure out the main facts. You might honor him later." He pulled out a piece of paper and throwing it towards the Winchesters. Sam caught the crumbled paper and unfolded it.

"Stone carving at its best. You'll think they're alive. Huntsville Museum of Art. Grand Opening." he read out loud, looking up in confusion.

"So what? Are we gonna to bore Lucifer to death with a little bit of culture?" Dean snarled snatching the paper away from his brother to have a closer look.

"No, you brain ache! Gorgons!" Crowley spit back, annoyed by the fact that the older Winchester always had to be so damn clueless.

"Gorgons? You mean like, Medusa? You serious?" Sam asked and granted Crowley's idea with a faithless smile.

"Medusa? You talk about hot chicks with snake hair?" Dean spoke up and grinned, the kind of Medusa he knew was naked and would not turn anyone into stone at least not the whole body.

"The thought has some kind of foundation actually." The Winchesters and the demon turned their face towards the speaking angel.

"You see! Your pet angel said it!" Crowley was rather amused to get approval from the always moody angel. When he earned a threatening look from Castiel he just shrugged. "What's the matter, darlin'?" Dean snarled. He did not like the demon call the angel 'darling'.

"Cas, what do you mean by 'kind of foundation'?" he asked, not willing to show his anger. "Having a gorgon looking at Lucifer, he's gonna lose his vessel. Consequently, he would have problems to find another one who could keep him inside without being destroyed at once." Sam nodded understanding.

Bobby had said the same so Crowley had a point there.

"And if Lucifer doesn't have a vessel he can't fight Michael which means, they can't devastate the planet." Crowley smiled proud about the fact that the Winchesters understood his plan.

Dean furrowed his brow.

"You know we could simply die and turn into stone. Why don't you go and try it yourself? Scared?" he mocked the demon and smiled. Crowley rolled his eyes.

"Guys, I don't know if you noticed but I was the one who gave you the clues. So you're gonna do the dirty work! Do you understand?" The demon kept his professionalism while he spoke. Besides, he already knew that Dean Winchester was a royal pain in the ass.

He still could not believe that this very human was Michaels 'oh-so-preferred' vessel. Crowley sighed.

"We're all in the same boat, floating towards the edge of a huge abyss. So you think I care? Let's face it boys. You have no choice. My enemy is your enemy. How about we just take each other by the hand and are a big happy family?" Crowley reached out and showed his best fake 'best friends' smile he could offer towards his audience.

The brothers exchanged a glance.

"What do you think, Sammy?" The young hunter shrugged.

"Worth a try." Now it was Dean who sighed. "Don't worry, I'll be there too, watching over you." Crowley said smiling, his hands shoved in his pockets.

Dean surrendered. He threw up his arms.

"Fine, okay. We'll do it. We'll catch Medusa. Sounds like fun. Can't wait for it." The older hunter's voice was dripping with sarcasm when he said that. Dean walked past by his brother and the angel towards his car.

He sank into the seat, moaning.

Sam turned back to the demon and held up the leaflet.

"Hope, this is gonna work. Don't be late." Crowley smiled and waved at the two men.

"I never am." With this, the man in the black suit disappeared.

After Crowley had left, the silence was very welcomed by the hunters. They did not like this demon and they did not like it, that he spent so much time with Bobby either. But they had other problems right now.

Those gorgons for example! If Crowley was right and this was a big if, than they could smash Lucifer's vessel and stop the apocalypse. Dean could hear his brother talk to Castiel before he heard footprints approaching the Impala. The car door creaked a little and moved down when Sam got beside him.

The fluttering sound of wings told him that Castiel was now at the back seat, staring at him with those blue eyes of his.

_Geez, Winchester!_ Dean rubbed his palms over his eyes.

"I don't like the idea Sammy. I really don't trust this dude. He's a douche. What does he expect us to do? I mean, shall we ask Medusa nice and politely to come with us to face the friggin' devil or what? Doubt she's gonna come with us."

"Dean." The hunter could almost feel the angel leaning forward.

"We have to try, Dean. There are not many possibilities left to defeat Lucifer. We must not let him fight with Michael." The Winchester groaned.

"I know. It's just don't trust this guy, okay?" Sam put a hand in his brother's shoulder.

"It's not that you're goin' there alone. We're comin' with you all the way." Sam smiled comforting before he put on his puppy gaze, saying '_start driving, we don't have much time_'.

Dean could not help it but laugh. He started the engine and drove back onto the asphalt street. "First things first, though." the older hunter started.

"We'll return those tents in the trunk, then buy some pie and then we're gonna head for Huntsville." Sam cried out.

"Haven't you had enough for breakfast already?" Dean shrugged.

"It's a long way, we'll need supplies!" Sam threw him a 'sure, a long way, of course' look before his brother turned the key and the engine roared up.

Huntsville

"So, this is it? The place where the key for Lucifer's doom is located? Seriously?" Dean could not believe his eyes when he put the car on hold in front of a little rustically but also old fashioned building. Before they had left Winchester, they had returned the tents and since it was not Wednesday, the stores were open.

Sam could not believe how much food and beer his brother had stored in the trunk but if it made him happy, he just let him do so.

Castiel had placed himself on the backseat, since the older hunter had somewhat ordered him to stay with them. Possibly it was not even an order, more like an opportunity to spend more time around human behavior.

He did not mind it. The only thing that irritated him was the slow movement and the steady concussion of the car. A weird way to travel.

It took them less than two hours to get to Huntsville and the museum was still open for visitors.

"It's a museum, Dean, Not a plaza hotel. Let's get inside before they close." Sam did not even wait for his brother to say anything stupid again, got out of the car, smashed the door violently and walked towards the entrance.

"One day I'll smash him as hard as he does my baby." Dean grumbled and glared bloody holes into his brothers back.

"Dean, we shouldn't let him go alone." The low voice from the backseat rose and the hunter turned around.

"Anyone who hurts my car gets to feel my wrath. Even Sam can respect that and I'd say, you wouldn't want anyone to hurt your beloved things either, right Cas?" All he got from the angel was an intense stare, followed by silence and finally, the angel dropped his head and nodded.

"Let's go. Can't let him walk around alone, he might get lost." The hunter grinned a little, gaining nothing but a confused look and got out of the car too, waiting for the angel to follow him.

Sam was already at the entrance, checking the flyers with the one Crowley had given to them. They were identical.

"So what? Are we going in and friendly ask if they come with us or what?" Dean narrowed his eyes a bit as the sun that rose above the trees burned into his eyes.

"I don't think it will be that easy. It's never easy to ask a mystical creature to work with you. Especially when we're talking about the devil." The younger Winchester opened the door and made his way towards the box office, his brother and Castiel close behind.

"No free entrance? Well, those gorgons know what money's worth, I guess." Dean said and waited for Sam to buy them three tickets, when he froze at the sight in front of him.

The first attraction of the museum was obviously a group of young adults carved out of stone, nearly stripped down to the shorts which seemed to be running from something.

_Those bastards even go for kids, dammit_, Dean thought and frowned at the stone figures and turned away. Castiel moved past him and knelt down next to the attraction, reached out with his hand and slightly touched the stone.

The woman behind the shelter started to yell.

"It's strictly forbidden to touch any of the exhibits! Please, respect the rules when you enter the next room! Some pieces are fragile!" She seemed upset and shook her head, even after Castiel had slowly removed his hand from the stone.

"Dean, this isn't simply stone." He said quietly, staring into the stone grey eyes of the human statue.

"Obviously not! They're humans turned into... I mean they look like real human beings so life like. We should send the creator a gift basket with a card!" Dean turned towards the woman behind the shelter and grinned a little.

Who knew if she was not one of them? Sam thanked her, paid and tried to push the angel and his brothers out of her side.

"What did ya mean, Cas? What's wrong?" When they entered the big hall, with the main attractions, their mouth fell agape. The place was crowded with people, not only with stone statues but also the amount of visitors seemed huge.

"Nowadays even gorgons know how to make a living." Dean took a few steps into the hall and observed another pair of statues.

He leaned towards a woman-figurine with nice features that was sitting on a chair and holding a phone in her hand.

_Whoever you were calling, never got the chance to say goodbye_, he thought with a sad smile on his lips. He took in a sharp breath as suddenly Castiel was placing his hands on the woman's bare leg, remaining there for a second.

"Cas, remember, no touching just watching!" The hunter said with a slightly amused tone in his voice. Without a warning, the angel grabbed Deans hand, placed it on the same spot were his right hand was lying.

"It's not cold, Dean. These people seem to be turned into stone recently. Their still alive!"

Sam looked into both directions if someone had noticed that his brother and the angel were touching the exhibits but it seemed they were lucky.

Dean removed his hand from the statue. As the angel had said: warm stone!

"What do you mean, still alive? How can they be alive if they're turned into stone?"

"I don't know. I have never encountered gorgons before." Castiel got up again and glanced around the hall, noticing the many excited and happy looking visitors staring at the statues.

"Wait, you don't know? How can you not know something this important?" Dean furrowed his brows and got up from the ground too. Castiel remained quiet and lowered his gaze.

He could not know everything but Dean was obviously thinking the angel was a huge book of information.

The lack of it always seemed to make him upset and the angel had to deal with that.

"But this kind of information would have been of importance before we accepted to work with Crowley!" Dean continued to ramble but the younger Winchester interfered.

"The question is, if the people are still alive, how will Lucifer react inside his vessel? Maybe he will be caught?" Thinking about Lucifer being unable to move again, made the older Winchester grin.

They just needed to convince the gorgon that the world would be a better place without the devil walking on earth. Sounded easy!

"Alright, let's go then! We've gotta talk to Medusa!" Dean said cheerfully and received an odd look from another visitor standing behind another stone figurine. The man just shook his head and walked away.

"Dean, if the information on those flyers is correct, we don't talk about one person. It says something about a duo of genius art creators. So we're obviously dealing with two of the gorgons." The younger Winchester tried to speak not too loud so the rest of the audience would not notice them.

"I don't think we can just walk into their office and have a chat with them."

"Why not, Sammy? Maybe we should ask them for an autograph or a little stone souvenir for us to take home? C'mon, we gotta try it!" Dean walked over to a man in a black suit with sunglasses.

_How stupid to wear sunglasses inside of a building_, he thought and put his 'hey buddy' smile on.

After Dean got thrown out of the museum, Sam and Castiel just followed him with their heads facing the ground, they got back to the car and decided what to do next. They knew it would take them some time to plan things, so they checked in at a nearby Hotel, the Embassy Suites, booking one room for two days.

Sam insisted to share one room, he said it would be too expensive to book two rooms but in reality he wanted to keep his eyes on his brother and the angel since Gabriel honestly asked him to do so. Dean just shrugged it off and entered the suite.

It was just a standard room with two beds, couch and a bath including shower and toilette.

At least everything was working.

The little room even had a small, old television and a big cupboard. Everything smelled freshly cleaned, so they would enjoy their stay for sure.

The taller Winchester placed himself on the right bed close by the door and started his typical way of research, asking the World Wide Web about myths and urban legends.

Since Dean had lain down onto the other bed, silence and the soft typing of Sam was all to be heard. Castiel stood nearby the door for the first ten minutes but he somehow felt drawn towards the couch next to the older hunter's bed and took a seat on it, facing the floor and waiting for anything to happen.

"It seems it's not easy to kill a gorgon. The only thing that comes up over and over is..."

"Best way to kill them is probably to behead them. There's nothing that excels that method." Castiel looked at Sam, who just made a turtle face and closed his laptop again.

"Fine. Beheading. Not really creative but it should work."

The younger hunter stood up and shoved his computer back in his bag.

"I suppose we go for it tonight. The museum closes for the weekend so we should have enough time to convince them to help us or to get rid of them. Both will do." Dean nodded slightly when he turned his head and stretched on the bed.

When his brother opened the door again, he asked.

"Where you goin'?"

"Getting some mirrors of some kind. Don't wanna end up as part of the exhibition. Besides, I'm getting hungry, too." his little brother replied and shut the door behind him.

After dusk, around ten-ish, the men had decided to get going. Packing all the things they needed in a bag which actually were only three machetes and a gun, just in case. Sam had left to buy pocket mirrors when he left for food.

He did not like the idea of using their weapons as mirrors, especially not, when they intended to talk first.

Dean on the other thought about running into the building with the blades in their hands. Sometimes Sam even wondered whether his older brother was just kidding or was serious about the things he said.

Whatever it was, Sam wanted to do it the easy way first before covering everything in blood. It was a short walk of twenty minutes from their hotel to the museum.

Castiel could not help but frown, when he sensed the demonic force of the man standing nearby the entrance. He knew how smart Crowley was and this made him dangerous. He could not trust him.

"Look at that dude." Dean snarled making a disgusted face. Sam rolled his eyes.

"At least he's there as he said. We still can get rid of him after we shoved Lucifer's ass back into that dark pit he crawled out of. But for now, be a little professional, dude." The older Winchester shrugged and put on one of his patented smiles.

Sam laughed.

"Dude, you don't wanna get laid, do ya?" The smile on the hunter face vanished.

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

Both men turned their faces to the demon.

"What took you so long? Did you walk your little puppy there or what?" Castiel tensed his muscles and glared at Crowley. The demon looked at the older hunter.

"You better leash him. Don't wanna get him hurt, do you?" Crowley's smile grew wider when Dean stepped forward threatening him.

"Try him." the Winchester hissed. That went far enough. Sam stepped in between.

"Okay, stop this. We've got work to do." he said, indicating to the door.

"Well then, enjoy." Crowley said and stepped back.

"Wait, you're not comin' with us?" Dean asked surprised. He had not expected that.

"No, you idiot. I'm gonna wait here and take care that no one gets in!" The elder Winchester smiled wickedly.

"Of course you do." When the three men reached the door, they could hear the demons voice one last time.

"Oh, and, don't forget to shut your eyes!"

They finally broke into the museum and made sure to stay as quiet as possible.

Dean made his way straight towards the stairs where the guardian had prohibited him to pass and talk to the artists.

He figured that their targets would either be inside their office or, if they were not, they might find some information of their whereabouts instead.

Dean was about to break into the office, as he could hear voices from inside.

"Jackpot." A jarring laugh rose and the hunter made a face.

_What a voice, hell. No doubt they can turn people to stone_, he thought not moving. Dean glanced back hoping to see his brother or the angel.

When nobody was in sight, the hunter prowled back. Turning around the corner he could see Castiel helping his brother to search the giant hall.

"Hey, Sammy, Cas. Found them." he stated and waved his hand.

Right when the angel and his brother decided to move to the hunter, they heard the clicking of heels.

Dean froze in motion as the door opened. He nearly prepared himself to be turned into one living sculpture too, when his eyes met the sight of the woman before of him.

"Simply knocking would have gotten you in earlier." The hunter stared straight into the eyes, waiting for something to happen but it seemed he was out of danger.

"Oh, don't worry dear, if I wanted you in my collection, we could've done that hours ago." Another woman appeared in the doorframe and smiled nearly friendly.

Since he was still alive he could finally observe what exactly was standing right in front of him.

Dean could have sworn that artists never looked that great, more like old hags with nice grandma smiles but these two women seemed completely different.

He could not say if those two were twins but they surely had some looks alike upon them. Long curly hair, nice curves and even their faces expressed pure beauty. Before his brain managed to work again, he threw a suggestive grin to both of them.

"I prefer to leave amemorable first appearance but you took that goal for yourselves." When he did not get any response, his smile weakened slowly.

"You're not the one for small talk I see that. Well we have... I have a little something to ask one of you or both if you prefer working together. Uhm, which one of you is Medusa? I forgot your sister's name, unfortunately." he continued and his smile grew again.

The two pretty alike looking women shared a glance at each other, before they turned their gaze towards the hunter.

Their pretty faces and sweet smiles had changed into deathly glares.

Facing her sister, it looked like they were talking to each other silently before the other one nodded, moved past Dean and walked down the stairs.

He moved out of her way, not daring to touch even an inch of her.

"You have no idea, human, what you got yourself into." An inhuman hissing appeared behind Dean but when he turned around, the second one was gone too.

_Shit, Sammy, I guess talking won't get us anywhere,_ he thought, while he glanced towards a group of figures where he thought his brother and the angel had hidden but he could not see them anymore.

Then, he turned his attention back towards the gorgon sister number one. She had moved even closer to him.

"We know why you're here and the answer is: no." she said with a bloody sweet smile on her lips.

She reached out with one hand to touch him, but the hunter stumbled backwards, nearly taking two steps at once he managed to get away far enough to feel save again.

"We haven't even started talking yet dear. If the end of the world comes, you and your sister will die too! Medusa, gorgon whatever! You will die, if you don't work with us!" he said, trying to convince her with the fear of death, which managed to get a few demons to work with them the past few years.

A low not amused laugh escaped the woman's throat and she fixed her eyes on Deans.

"Don't you dare taking our sisters name into your mouth again vile creature! You have no right to speak her name out loud. Ignorant and proud humans like you were the reason for her death! Don't think, don't even consider that you could ask us to help you with anything!"

With a swift move, she jumped down the stairs and landed right next to the Winchester.

"Don't you think you're special just because you're still alive. We could have killed you earlier, if we wanted but it seemed unfair to us. We prefer a proper fight before we take our prey." The woman shook her head, making her curled hair flip and swing around her, her bones slightly cracking she moved closer towards the hunter.

"I haven't killed any of your kind, okay? You must be mistaken." Dean was not sure why but since he was able to see what they had to fight, everything felt alright, but who knew how long this would last? He still wondered how it was possible that he was not a fossil already but he did not feel like asking right now.

"Foolish ignorant human. You're all the same." With another deep growl the woman reached forward but stopped her move immediately, sniffing into the air and grinning a wide smug smile.

"Angel? You shouldn't come out yet, we love to play hide and seek with our new exhibits." she said, glancing around for a sign of the feathered friend of the hunter. Well, that was definitely not good! Dean stepped further back.

"Uhm, just a question before we start the whole slicing thing." the hunter started, receiving an impatient and greedy look from the gorgon.

"How come, that I'm still me? How come, that I haven't joined your little army of the Flintstones?" The creature laughed loudly.

"Because, you impertinent little human, I am wearing contact lenses. That's a very nice invention of you humans, if I am perfectly honest. With these, we can lure more victims into our traps." she hissed and put one foot before another, getting closer to the hunter.

A long serpent like tongue flicked between her lips and Dean flinched. It would have been great to have his machete now but Sam was the one who had the bag.

The only thing he had right now was the pocket mirror in his back of his jeans.

The moment when the first of the gorgons started to move, Sam pulled on Castiel's coat and signalized him to hide with him behind some stone figures.

If the gorgons sensed the angel's grace, they could possibly screw their plan to convince the women to help them.

"I will get them." one of the sisters said and while she moved away, her body started to twist and transform into something else.

The last thing Dean saw was a long scaly tail sliding out of his sight before he turned his attention to the one before him.

As he noticed that she was obviously preparing herself to transform into her real form too, her clothes fell to the ground.

The lady watched her sister walk away and around a corner, searching for the other two men. She would take care of the single hunter in front of her.

"Whoa. That's the first time I'm not glad to see a brunette hot chick with big boobs right before me!" Dean said, mouth agape and staring but immediately hiding his eyes when the head of the woman moved around to face him.

The air around him was suddenly filled with noisy hissings and he did not need to see, what the woman's hair turned into. Her beautiful curly hair wriggled and slithered on her head, forming itself into fifty or more snakes at once.

"Dean! Move your ass outta there!" He could hear Sam from somewhere behind him and turned around, opening his eyes just enough to see where he was running to.

Behind him he could hear a wet sound, followed by ripping skin and stretching bones. The second woman was transforming her body into something else too it seemed. When he finally reached Sam and Castiel behind a group of stone figures, he caught his breath and smiled a bit.

"I wonder why all of these dudes got turned into stone. It's not really worth the sight! They're nice but..."

"Dean!" Castiel screamed out when a long scaly tail wrapped itself around one of the statues next to them and got thrown in the air. The long tail of the beast gripped another and diminished their defense.

A sound of broken and splintering stone was hearable in the huge hall.

It was quite a mess. During the fight many of the statues hit the ground and broke into pieces. The hunters could not help it but they were no match for the gorgons. Not even Castiel could block all their attacks. It was difficult to fight with closed eyes.

At least for the brothers.

Castiel's senses were more sensitive due to his grace, but now, that he was cut off from heaven his strength had weakened. Therefore, he knew what to do but he was not that strong anymore.

Castiel moaned when he hit the glass cabinet. He had been fast but the gorgon's tail had been faster. The glass crunched beneath him when he stood up again.

He heard Sam cry out and turned his head in the direction where the sound had come from.

"Sammy." he heard Dean yell just before another cabinet shattered. Castiel senses told him that something moved forward to get him. He knew it was one of those creatures. He held on the blade in his hand, moved forward, ducked and whirled around. He could hear the gorgon cry out.

"You little... how dare you? I'll enjoy tearing your feathery ass apart!"

"Don't think so, bitch!" Somehow, Dean had managed to get behind the creature in front of the angel.

The hunter drew back his arm intending to cut the machete into the gorgons flesh but before he could do so the tail wrapped around his leg moving upwards until the Winchester was not able to move anymore.

The angel had no time to react because Sam ran into him. Both men fell to the ground but managed to get behind a small partition wall.

"Cas, we need a plan." Sam said, breathing heavily.

"We first need to get Dean back." Sam opened one eye, staring at the angel beside him. "What?"

"That's right, little boy. We got your friend." One of the gorgons said. Like a command Dean started to yell painfully.

"Stay where you are, Sammy. Don't open your eyes-shit." The eldest Winchester hissed in pain when he felt one rib breaking and piercing his flesh.

"Come out come out wherever you are."

"I actually like where I am, right now." Sam said and could hear a displeased murmur when he slid his pocket mirror to spy on the gorgons.

"Cas, I need you to do something. You've got to trust me on this." The young hunter whispered and felt the angel's eyes on him immediately.

"Oh, boys, come out and play. Shall we? Or do you wanna let this hunter enjoy the fun on his own?" One of the gorgons hissed cheerful. Dean moaned when the creature tightened its grip around him.

He felt a stinging pain in his arm before the bone broke. All the air was dragged out of his lungs when another bone broke.

"Hey, little human! Why don't you open your eyes? It would be over faster, don't you think?" Dean turned his head when he felt the warm breath of the gorgon next to his ear.

"Thanks but no thanks, I'm actually quite enjoying myself right now." he snapped back and earned another cracking bone.

The older hunter bit painfully onto his lower lip. He had been through hell, literally.

There was no pain he could not take. Before Dean could say anything else he heard Castiel's rough voice. Both gorgons turned their head in his direction before another closer sound occurred.

It was the sound of something sharp slashing through wet leather and something very solid. The forceful grip around him diminished until he got loose. Somebody grabbed the hunters arm pulling him away.

"Dean?" Sam's husky voice stated, but was drown by the loud yell of the gorgon.

The older Winchester could not help but to open his eyes and stare at the still moving body of the creature, head off.

"Sister!" The other creature cried out, let go of Castiel and rushed forwards. Dean looked automatically at his brother before turning his vision to the gorgon.

Sam was fast enough to cover his brother's eyes with his hand but he did not make it. Staring right into the stunning eyes of the furious gorgon he felt how he started turning into stone himself.

"I shall destroy all of you." she cried, but before anything else could happen, a loud growl cut through the chaos, followed by a painful scream of the snake like creature.

"My Eyes! How dare you, demon? You will pay for this."

"Don't lose your head, darling. Isn't that healthy as far as I know! Besides, where you're going you won't need your eyes anymore, assure you that." The familiar voice of the black suited demon Crowley occurred.

"You can open your eyes now, boys." the demon said and Dean wished he had not done that. He stepped back and stared, mouth agape. His brother had turned into one of those stone figures.

"No, no, no, no, no, Sammy." This was his fault, he knew.

"Dean, she is escaping." Castiel said, intending to follow the other gorgon when he saw Dean collapsing next to his brother's statue.

"Oh dear, what a shame. You better fix that!" Crowley said shrugging. The angel threw him a furious glare before hurrying to the brothers. Castiel knelt down beside the older hunter. The man in front of him was a complete mess now. Therefore, the angel laid a hand on his chest, trying to heal the broken bones.

"Cas... Sammy is..." Dean's voice sounded weak and his breathing was hard and fast.

"I know, Dean." the angel replied quietly, watching the hunter sliding into unconsciousness. Castiel frowned.

This time he had to concentrate more than last time he had healed the Winchester. His powers were certainly weakening with every day.

After healing the older hunter completely, Castiel rose back to his feet. Crowley was standing beside him.

"Now, what are we gonna do, darlin'?"

Both men silently stared at the stony figure of Sam Winchester.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>No Sammy's were harmed in this chapter. ;)<strong>**

**Really!**

**Next Chapter: The normal abnormality**

**Someone's gettin' wet again...**


	9. The normal abnormality

**Updated Version**

Still no Sammys were harmed in this chapter! Promise!

**Ever lost control over your own body and acted in ways you never thought you would?  
><strong>

**So what happens if an angel gets dirty? Yeah exactly what you're thinkin'**

**Enjoy  
><strong>

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><p><strong>9. The normal abnormality<strong>

Something is wrong

He opened his eyes. At least he believed he did, since the sight in front of him did not change at all. Sam was surrounded by nothing but darkness, a black hole with no sound, no light, no exit.  
>„Dean! Cas! Anyone hear me?" Screaming into the endlessness, he tried to move but he could not even feel his skin or any other part of his body.<p>

Nothing was moving. If he would not be able to listen to his own breathing and screams he would have thought he was torn apart and just something inside his brain had not recognized it yet, but he was breathing.  
>His ears were working. His brain was working. His voice was working.<br>„Anyone here?" he yelled again, waiting for any sign of response.

If this was hell, it was not what he had expected. Not from what Dean had tried to hide from him, this could not be it.  
>It felt like an hour, more or less, he could not figure it out but finally there was another sound than his own breathing and his slowly growing heartbeat.<p>

„Hello Sam, it's been a while since we had time to talk." The Winchester froze and his breath died in his throat. From all voices in the world he would never have begged to hear that specific one. Not this close to him and not in his brain.

Maybe it was not real and his mind was just fooling around?

If that thing was like a black box, people tend to go mad within minutes so he was lucky he made it to here.

„No Sam, I'm real. I'm glad I sensed your state of mind soon enough to get here. You haven't been dreaming enough lately. You should sleep a little more. Just for me!"  
>„Go away! You're not here!" Sam closed his eyes, replacing the current darkness by another even though he did not see the owner of the voice.<p>

It was all black, nothing else. He could not stand it and opened his eyes again.  
>Still, there was nothing.<br>„Oh Sam, you can trust me. I'm the only one you actually should believe in. Everyone else just wants you to behave like a good little boy but you're much more, Sam." the well known voice continued, a voice which was not even the owners real one, just the burning vessels throat that formed the words the owner wanted it to.

„Shut up! I won't listen to anything you say. Every word from you is a lie and nothing else!" Sam moved his head around, searching, seeking any kind of reflection or touch since the voice seemed so close he could even touch or better punch the owner.

„I won't do it. I will never give you what you want. Never." The hunter continued and finally he could feel his feet. He walked forward, tapping into the dark nothing that spread before him. Silence again.  
><em>He's gone Sam, he's just in your head<em>, the Winchester kept trying to believe in his own thoughts, when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned around and was confronted with the burned and broken face of Nick, Lucifer's vessel, and he looked awful. Even his hand and arm looked like the skin was scaling off.  
>„Sam..."<br>„No!" The boy would not listen to anything anymore. Slapping the hand from his shoulder and moving backwards he felt the lack of ground under his feet but it was too late.  
>He fell. The feeling made his stomach cringe for a moment, when a hand gripped his arm and held him right where he was.<br>„Sam, I'm not your enemy. I'm sorry for everything you need to witness in the future but I have no choice. It's fate. You and I: we!" Lucifer smiled at him.

Sam did not even know how he could see the devil since there was no light, nothing to reveal him but he was there. It made no sense.  
>Panicked, he turned his head around, facing the deep nothing under him.<br>Everything but him, Sam thought and ripped his arm out of Lucifer's grip. This time, he fell and nothing stopped him. Sam closed his eyes. He was ready for whatever would come. Death or not! He would never say ‚yes'.

_Never ever!_  
><em>Never!<em>

Dean flinched and opened his eyes. Jerking into an upright position he looked around, finding himself placed on a bed in his and his brothers hotel room. _Sammy._ The thought of his brother struck him like lightning.

The older Winchester ran a hand over his face, then, he looked again. The room was not empty. In the darker corner of the room was the stony figure of his brother.  
>„Oh, no, no, no, Sammy, oh please, don't. God please." Dean pleaded, rising to his feet and hurrying over toward the statue.<p>

At Sam's figure, the older hunter reached out but did not dare to touch the stone.  
>„He is still there, Dean. Inside!" The Winchester turned around to see Castiel standing in the middle of the room. He had not heard the angel coming. Dean suppressed a sob, turning completely to the angel.<p>

„What do you mean, he's there, inside? Cas, get him out! Please tell me you can free him from this!" Castiel stepped closer, his gaze locked on the older hunter.  
>„I am sorry, Dean. There is nothing I can do. I am..." His gaze dropped to the ground.<br>„I am not strong enough." Dean shook his head.  
>„No, Cas. Don't tell me that bullshit. I don't believe you. You're a friggin' angel. Use your mojo!" The hunter had stepped closer to the angel and grabbed his trench coat.<p>

Castiel, in turn, remained calm. Putting his hands onto the hunters he spoke.  
>„I can't and I apologize for being useless to you, Dean." Dean let go of the angel, turning around in the process. He felt anger boiling up inside.<br>It was his fault that Sam had turned into stone.  
>If he had not looked at that gorgon he would have been alive and breathing, anything but this.<br>Dean ran his fingers over the still warm stone figure which his brother had become.

„Sammy, I'm sorry. So sorry." he whispered.  
>„I'll find a way to get you back. No matter what it'll cost!"<br>The angel behind him shifted uncomfortable. He did not like the scene in front of him. Did not like the way his charge was so dismayed.

Something inside of him curled up and twisted painfully. Again, he felt this strange feeling he could not clearly identify. In an instant, he knew what he had to do.  
>With a flapping sound of his wings, the angel was gone, leaving Dean alone.<p>

He had known where to find the demon. Crowley was still at the museum, some business he had to attend to. When Castiel appeared next to him, the demon was rising to his feet.  
>„What a pity. The blood is already solidified but I'll take it as a souvenir of our little adventure." The demon turned the little bottle in his hand and made the thick blood wobble inside.<br>Castiel was no fool, he knew when somebody was keeping secrets and this demon had certainly one, regarding the fact that he had stayed behind.  
>„Shouldn't you be with your little hunter-friend? Suppose he needs somebody to hold him tight right now." Crowley said without looking at the angel while he placed the bottle into his jacket.<p>

„You know how to free Sam from his current condition." Now, Crowley was looking at him.  
>„Oh, really, do I? What made you think that?" he asked, smiling innocently.<br>„You would not act so calm about it, if you did not. You would be furious about it, since both, Sam and Dean, are the only ones who can help you defeat Lucifer." Castiel explained matter-of-factly. Crowley cocked his brows.

„Guess, Sam is not the only one with brains here. Well, yes you're right. I might know... something."

Pause.

When Castiel did not reply, the demon continued.  
>„There is indeed a way to release Sam but you can't be expecting me to honestly tell you, do ya?"<br>Castiel tensed, clenching his teeth. He would do whatever was necessary. He knew Dean needed his brother.  
>„What do you want?" The angel's voice was rough and low in a threatening manner.<br>„World peace." was the fast reply. When he said that, the angel did not even smile about his little joke. Crowley rolled his eyes.  
>„Geez, you really have to start developing a sense of humor. That's horrible, you know that?"<p>

Pause.

„Whatever. Back to business! I will tell you what you need to do and in return you owe me."  
>„What is it you want, demon?" Castiel kept his voice calm and distanced even though he wanted to kill this abomination in front of him.<br>Crowley's smile grew.  
>„I want you to owe me a favor! Whatever it might be, you will do it without questioning. What do you think, little angel? In return, I'll tell you how to bring little Sammy back to life." Castiel frowned.<br>He did not like the idea of making a deal with Crowley, but he had no choice. He urgently wanted to help his charge. That was his duty, his responsibility.

Castiel closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, his gaze locked with the demons.  
>„I accept your offer. Whatever it may be, call me, I will be there." the angel said. Crowley smiled victorious.<br>„Very well. Wise decision. But don't you dare to forget about it."  
>„I will not." Castiel cut the demon off.<br>„You need blood. Fresh, warm blood. Of a gorgon. Since you let one of them escape you and your little hunter-friend can track her down, collect the blood, cover stony Sam with it and he'll be normal again. Easy peasy, don't ya think? Embarrassing you didn't know that!" Crowley said, yelling the last words because Castiel was already gone.

The demon snorted, shook his head and left the building, attending his own business.

Dean did not bother turning around when he heard the fluttering sound of Castiel's wings. He had not even noticed that the angel was gone. Eventually, he turned his head when Castiel raised his voice.  
>„Dean. We have to go."<br>„Why? I'm not leaving him alone, Cas. I won't." Castiel's expression softened a little. Nonetheless, he did not make any attempt to move towards the older hunter.  
>„Crowley said there is a way to bring Sam back."<br>Immediately, Dean was back on his feet.  
>„What? Why didn't he tell us earlier, that sonofabitch. He shall rot in hell. I'm gonna take care of that by myself."<p>

„Dean." The angel's voice was calm and patient, as always. The hunter's attention was back on him.  
>„He said, the blood of a gorgon would be enough to turn him back. It has to be warm. We have to find the escaped gorgon." Dean sighed. Somehow, he could not help it, but feel relieved to know that the demon had helped them, again.<br>Helped? The older hunter tensed. His eyes were wider than usual in shock of the realization. At ones, he stared at Castiel when the insight made his brain start working and evaluating the consequences.

„Crowley told you? Just like that?" Dean asked suspiciously. The angel nodded.  
>„Without expecting you to make a deal?" Castiel lowered his gaze. He could not lie.<br>„You've got to be friggin' kiddin' me! Goddammit Cas!" Dean's frustration turned into anger and he took a few steps forward closing the space between him and the angel.

„Dean..."

„We don't make deals with demons! We could've asked Bobby! Or searched for a cure by ourselves, but we don't give in to damn demons!"  
>Dean kept shouting at the angel, who had not even tried to look up again until Dean was finally done with his angry voice.<br>„So what? You sold your soul to Crowley and he's coming to get ya in ten years?" _Did you kiss that bastard too,_ Dean could not say that thought loud since it was obvious.  
>Deals were always sealed with a kiss.<p>

„I don't have a soul to sell, Dean. I'm an angel of the Lord. Or at least, I'm still an angel. Jimmy's soul isn't mine to sell." Castiel immediately answered, tilting his head to the side as he noticed the way Dean clenched his teeth together.  
>The hunter frowned, his mouth slightly open and stared into the angel's eyes.<br>He took a deep breath before he continued.

„Fine. So no deal like that but what did he want? What did he get from you to share this information? What Cas?" Dean stretched out his arms and gestured with his hands in the air.  
>„A favor." Castiel could feel that the Winchesters rage was slowly vanishing.<p>

„What kind of favor?"  
>„I don't know yet. He said when the time comes, he will come and I will do what he wants without any hesitation. That is all." The angel kept his eyes locked with the hunter for a while until Dean closed his eyes. Their ‚deal' was already done.<br>He could not change it anymore. The hunter sighed and looked at him again. A smile on his features, he was about to reach out to pat Castiel's shoulder but stopped the movement and lowered his hand again.

„What do we have to do then?" the Winchester asked, waiting for the angel's explanation.

„Alright, so we need the monster bitch to spill her blood all over him. Fine, let's go find that bitch." he said confident that they would find her in minutes and return his brother to the way he was before, alive and bitching.  
>„I don't think we need to search for her. She will come to us eventually." Dean furrowed his brows and stared at the angel in confusion.<br>„Why would she be that stupid?" Castiel turned his gaze towards the stone figure of Dean's brother before he continued to explain.

„We are responsible for her sister's death. She's the last of her species. Therefore she has nothing to lose but to get her revenge." With that, he locked his eyes with the hunter again.  
>„She's probably as angry as you Dean. She lost her family so we shouldn't underestimate her." The angel said with a low voice, as if the gorgon was already waiting for them.<p>

„Well, she's on the list of endangered species! Let's make sure she won't stay there too long." The hunter turned towards the door, made his way to his beloved car and collecting a few bottles to carry the blood with them later.

It would not be such a great idea to drag a dead gorgon body through a hotel room, much less the thought of the blood stains on the ground they would leave later, but he could not worry about that right now.

Sam was important, who knew if that demon bastard did not lie to the angel. Castiel appeared next to him and watched as he placed the bottles into his jacket.  
>„I think I know where she is right now." he said, moving his head around, staring into the darkness as he would sense her presence somewhere close by.<p>

„Let's go then! Can't let her wait!" Dean said and drew the long machete from his belt. A second later, they were back in front of the museum. The angel moved a few steps down the street and tried to somewhat pin-point the creature's location, but it seemed he failed to do so.

„Why exactly would she come back here? I bet she's hiding somewhere close the hotel instead! Maybe she even followed us." Dean waved his head around and waited for Castiel to zap them to another place, but, instead, the angel kept moving forward.  
>He entered a back alley, stopped his movements and waited, perking his ears for any sign of the gorgon.<br>Dean sighed heavily and followed the angel into the alley.

Castiel drew his blade and kept his ears and eyes open, he could feel the creature close by when the sudden surprised scream of the hunter behind him ripped him out of his state and made him turn around.  
>The gorgon had appeared right behind Dean and had already disarmed the hunter by throwing his machete far away with her tail.<p>

Castiel ran towards her to help the nearly unarmed hunter who managed to keep the creature on distance with his colt.

While her upper body was busy to dodge Deans attacks, her tail wiggled around and seemed to recognize the angel on its own. Without a warning the long tail smashed against Castiel's chest, lifted him from the ground and threw him into the air.

A loud metallic impact was hearable, shortly followed by a _‚thunk_' of a lid smashing shut.  
>Dean did not bother to look where the angel had been thrown off to and tried to fire another salvo at the gorgon. The whip-like tail of the creature smashed against his side and he lost his precious colt just as he lost the machete before.<p>

„I may be blind, but I can still smell you, you little prick!" she hissed infuriating.  
>The snake lady started to wind her lower body around the hunter and started to laugh maniacally.<br>„I'll crush your little body and this time, you won't recover! That's what you get for killing my sisters! Vile human! Beast." she hissed and screamed into Dean's ears, staring at him with the deep holes where her eyes had been before she started to squeeze her muscles around him, leaving him no space to breathe anymore.

The glass bottles bursted under the pressure and the shards cut into Deans sides. He felt the blood rushing through his head and heard the pounding sound of his heart in his ears.  
>Just when he thought the next sound he would hear were his breaking bones again, the pressure started to weaken again and was followed by a few more twitches before the body of the gorgon fell backwards.<p>

Her head just rolled into the other direction and jumped a few times over the ground. The still hissing and moving snakes writhed a few more times before they grew silent too.  
>Dean stared at the slightly with red sprinkles covered angel in front of him.<br>Castiel was still holding his blade up high and was panting.  
>A piece of wet paper was stuck in his hair and his clothes were covered with bloody stains and several black- greenish wet spots.<p>

Under his left shoe Dean could spot even more wet and dirty paper. The angel lowered the blade and moved forward pulling at the snake's body which was still curled around the hunter.

„Oh my god, Cas! What's that? Did you go into a dumpster?" He waved his hand and smiled, the color of his face turned back to normal in the meantime.

„Exactly." was the short, not amused reply of the stressed looking angel who started to pull the beheaded body up, so the blood would not run all onto the ground.  
>The hunter stumbled for a few seconds but managed to stand by himself.<p>

„We have nothing to take the blood back! The bottles are broken, useless!" he told Castiel and flinched as he felt his own sticky wet liquid soaking through his shirt. Picking up his gun and the machete, Dean listened to what the angel said.

„We've got to hurry. We might need a lot of blood to free your brother." With this, Castiel reached out for Dean, touching his forehead and getting both of them and the dead gorgon back to the hotel room.

Without any hesitation, they moved the dead body over to Sam and lifted her upper part over his head. Her thick blood started to drip slowly and turned into a small trickle. Dean even squeezed and shook the gorgon, but it seemed not enough to make her bleed more. The hunter pulled out a knife and started to cut into the flesh and veins under the lost neck of the beheaded woman.

Finally the blood seemed to run properly and covered the stone figure of his brother. The trickling died slowly and as they wanted to drop the body to the ground, its color changed to grey and bursted into pieces, leaving piles of sand on the ground.  
>Dean had no time to wonder about that and turned his attention to his brother, who was still only a fossil and not alive at all.<p>

„It doesn't work. That bastard Crowley! I knew it!" He clenched his fists together sunk to the ground right before his brother. The Winchester felt dumb for even thinking that a demon could say the truth at least once.

Castiel did not move at all.

Why would the demon lie? He would get nothing from the angel if the cure did not work. It made no sense.  
>A dull smashing sound was hearable as Dean tried to punch his fist into the ground, causing him to hiss at the pain that caused the sudden exertion to his still bleeding wounds. He did not even look up when he felt the hand of the angel on his shoulder.<br>His brother was gone and he had no idea how to save him.  
>It was hopeless.<p>

„Dean."

Castiel could see the pain the Winchester was in but he could do nothing to stop it. He tried to comfort the hunter and placed both his hands on his shoulders and squeezed them a little. Castiel did not know if that would be a comforting gesture but he could not come up with anything else.  
>„We have to find another way. There has to be another." the muffled voice of the hunter rose. He was obviously fighting the urge to give in into his sorrow, but his voice was already trembling.<br>Castiel could simply not lie to him. He did not know what else they could do but he just did not manage to tell Dean that it was probably impossible to find another cure. The hunter would not listen anyway.

Suddenly Dean turned and his hands shot forward. He buried them into the dirty fabric of Castiel's trench coat. His hands were shaking and the Winchester managed to look up to the angel, his face expressing despair, anger and fear.

The angel's eyes were filled with sympathy and pity for the hunter. He tried to come up with some sort of comforting words when a loud yawn followed by a body crashing to the floor made both their eyes go wide. They turned their heads around simultaneously and stared at the younger Winchester who was rubbing his head slightly and sat up from the ground.  
>As Sam noticed his brother and the angel, he grinned wickedly.<p>

„What did I miss this time?" he said, before he glanced around and noticed that they were back into the hotel.  
>Trying to remember what had happened he rubbed his head a few more times and stared at his brother who was obviously close to tears again.<p>

Before Sam could say anything else, Dean was wrapping his arms around him, hugging him as if he would never want to let go again.  
>Trying to say something, Sam opened his mouth but closed it again. He looked at the angel, confused and not knowing what happened. Castiel's gaze moved to the pile of dust that had been the body of the gorgon, Sam's followed suit. It did not take long until he connected the points in his head.<p>

Like a switch that was pushed he remembered. Those eyes, the sudden feeling of tiredness, the darkness in the end! With a soft smile Sam wrapped his hand around his brother, petting on the small of his back.  
>„It's okay. I'm okay." he said softly. It took the older hunter one more moment before he let go of his baby brother, smiling into his face.<br>„If you do such thing again, I swear I'll break your nose!" he told the younger man and at that very moment Dean knew everything was alright again. He had his brother back.  
>Sam smiled back, wiggling his brows.<p>

„So, you're gonna tell me about the thing going on between you two now or do I have to turn to stone again?" Dean stood up.  
>„What the hell are ya talking about? There's nothin' goin' on, dude. You're the one I have trouble with. Not him!" He glanced back, catching Castiel's gaze. The older hunter frowned. The angel looked like a mess.<br>„You should clean yourself up, dude." he said, when he heard Sam sniffling. He wrinkled his nose and replied.

„I'd suggest he takes a shower first. He smells like a walking dumpster." Dean shrugged.  
>„He fell into one earlier." The younger Winchester could not help but laugh, especially when he saw the angel's confused face. Castiel looked down at his vessel.<br>„I don't understand. Why do I need to get wet?" His gaze moved back to Sam and then, to Dean.  
>„Because you're dirty! And when people get dirty, they get a shower!"<br>„And in the meanwhile, I'll get some food and look around for a launderette. I need to wash my stuff as well." Sam added, having a big smile on his lips like nothing of this ever happened.  
>„Oh, what? You're not gonna do this, are ya?"<br>Dean stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. Sam looked indignant.

„What am I not gonna do?" His smile grew wider.  
>„Seriously? C'mon, I'm not his babysitter!"<br>Castiel closed his eyes for a second. He simply did not understand this human. First, he was close to rage, then, he was all happy again and now he was in a different mood once more. Obviously, feelings were quite a complicated thing.

For an instant, he was scared.

He did not want to become a human being. He already had feelings and they were already bothersome. He simply did not need any more of them! Castiel lowered his shoulders.  
>„Just tell me what to do." he said patiently. Sam beamed when he heard the angel and hurried to gather his wallet.<br>Before his brother could say anything else, he stated.  
>„Dean will explain to you. I'll get supplies. Enjoy!" With this, the younger Winchester ran out of the room, slamming the door shut.<p>

As soon as Sam had left the room his mood was down at zero. His smile had faded. Walking down the floor and out of the building he decided for one direction and started walking, deep in thought. He could not tell Dean about Lucifer.

About his dream or whatever it was. It had to be a dream of some kind. Lucifer had said it, too. He ran one hand through his hair.  
>He must not let the devil convince him to say ‚yes'. Sam sighed. He did not want to think about that right now but he knew this would be not possible at all.<br>Suddenly, his phone was ringing.  
>Ripping him out of his thoughts he stared at the display.<br>Furrowing his brows he answered the call.

„Dean?"

„Hey Sammy. Since you're already on the run, I've noticed a lack of clothing here. Maybe you could get our angel something to wear? I don't think we want him to walk around in his coat only, right?" Now it was Deans turn to tease his brother.

He tried to overact the fact that he was way more concerned of having either a dirty or clothless angel around them.  
>„Oh! C'mon Dean! I'm not your housewife who keeps washing your stuff, getting your food and waking you up in the morning! Every morning! Go shopping with him yourself dude! Besides, it's still a couple of hours before the shops open!" Sam protested, but continued to walk towards the newly spotted launderette on the other side of the road, checking time and prices to make sure they would not waste too much time.<p>

„Oh man. Sam be a good little wifey and just do it. You always say my taste in clothing is bad so friggin' do it. Just something that looks similar and I dunno what size he wears, but mine should be fitting, maybe a bit smaller, ‚kay?" The voice of his older brother was replaced by a quiet laugh and followed by silence.

Sam sent a few cursings into the air but also thanked his brother for dragging his thoughts into a different direction. He would look for some new clothes for the angel. Good, he always took his wallet with him. Preparing himself for the shopping he seriously felt like a mother figure. Looking down at his watch he frowned.  
>It would take at least two more hours for the normal shops to open! The younger hunter sighed.<p>

Dean hissed painfully. The water burned terribly in his wounds. He wanted to scratch but he knew this would make things worse. The hunter rested his head against the cold tiled wall of the shower cabin.  
>He had told Castiel the purpose of ‚taking a shower' and the ‚how to' as well. First, the angel had stared at him in confusion, but then he had understood. Dean had taken a quick look on the angel's clothes and frowned. There were bloodstains and other dirt he did not dared to guess what it was.<p>

The button-down was not white anymore, more yellow-ish and the pants had some holes in it. Therefore, Dean had guessed Castiel's size and called Sam to get the angel a new everything. Luckily, the tan trench coat was just slightly dirty but not torn.  
>The younger Winchester had protested against buying Castiel new clothes since he did not know what to buy, but Dean was confident he would manage it. This was his little sweet revenge for explaining the procedures of cleanliness to a socially awkward angel of the freaking Lord!<p>

The older Winchester washed out the shampoo and turned off the water. Grabbing a towel he wrapped it around his waist. He really had needed this shower. He could feel it in his muscles. They were still sore but started to relax.  
>Castiel was deep in thoughts when the bathroom door opened and a dripping Dean stepped out. One towel wrapped around his waist another rubbing over his body and hair which was sticking up all over the place. The angel tilted his head, not moving his gaze from the hunter. Dean had noticed that and cocked his brows.<p>

„Stop staring and get in there. Your turn and don't forget: shampoo for the hair and gel for your body. And now move, I wanna get dressed." he said a little too impolite, but Castiel did not seem to care about it anyway.  
>The angel stood up from the bed, his eyes traveling down towards the towel and remained there for a few seconds.<br>The deep cuts the glass had caused the wounds on the hunters body were still fresh and shiny red. When he passed Dean, he kept his eyes on the floor. That carpet had to be very interesting.  
>As he moved his hand upwards slightly touching Dean's skin, the open wounds started to heal off. Dean had not seen that coming but recovered from the sudden touch immediately.<p>

Before Castiel closed the door, the Winchester raised his voice once again.  
>„Don't you dare to put those clothes on again when you're clean! Sammy's getting some new ones for you!"<br>„I understand." was the deadpanned reply of the angel.

After closing the door, Castiel recalled what the hunter had told him. He took off his trench coat, followed by the blazer of his suit. He opened his button-down and shrugged the fabric off his shoulders.  
>When he reached out for his shoes, he could not suppress a soft smile, as the memory who had last tied them came up. Shrugging the thought and the feeling off Castiel walked over to the shower. He froze when the corner of his eye caught his image in the mirror. He had never seen his vessel without clothes before.<br>Curious, he moved a hand over the body.  
>Castiel frowned. The feeling of his skin was strange.<p>

„You okay in there? Cas?" Castiel's head turned immediately toward the door when he heard Deans voice.  
>„Yes!" was the prompt reply before the angel moved into the cabin. A little confused he looked around. There he found the shower gel and the shampoo.<p>

Castiel looked up at the long silver pipe ending in the showerhead. He lowered his gaze again to the mixer tap and turned it around.  
>Castiel flinched when the cold water hit him without warning. As fast as possible, he turned the tap into the other direction.<br>When the water changed from icy cold to burning hot he moved it again until the water had a nice temperature.

After Castiel had closed the door behind him the older Winchester had started to dress up. He chose his favorite denim, a black t-shirt and a nice green button-down. Sam had been right. He needed to wash his clothes as well.

He was running out of briefs.

After an unbelievable long time Dean started to wonder what might have happened to the angel, but before he could ask the door sprung open and Castiel walked out of the bath. When Dean turned around his mouth fell agape, eyes wide. There was an angel of the Lord standing in the middle of their hotel room.

Naked and dripping of water and he was staring at him, his head in that tilted position, that was so Castiel-ish. Dean cleared his throat. He felt a little uncomfortable right now.  
>„Cas, where is your towel?" he asked. The angel turned completely, which meant, Dean had a full sight of his front.<p>

Needless to say that his mind was already blank. Castiel walked back into the bathroom and returned with a towel in his hand, holding it in front of him. The hunter could do nothing else but stare. His eyes followed every move the angel made.  
>„Dean?" Castiel move forward, this confused look of his on his face.<br>„You... uhm... have to wrap it around your... uhm... waist." Dean's brain was still not working properly, that was not a good sign.

Not at all!

He was not supposed to react like that.  
>To make matters worse, Sam opened the door in that very moment.<br>„Hey, Dean, I've got some holy shit..." Sam almost dropped the bags and in fact he did, but after he closed the door again and leaned against it.

Eyes wide in shock, he inhaled the air deeply before he held his breath for a moment.  
>He really did not want to see that! From inside the room he could hear his brother curse and obviously ordering the angel to do something.<p>

He waited for a moment.

„Dean? Is it safe to come back inside?" he asked, his voice a little high in his opinion. Sam could hear his brother curse once more before he opened the door.  
>„Yeah." was the cold reply of the older Winchester.<p>

Sam peeked around the door and saw Castiel wrapped in a towel. He was safe again!  
>„I've bought you a new suit and underwear, Cas." The hunter started, closing the door.<br>„Dunno whether it fits or not. Try it anyway, first." Sam frowned.

Was it just him or were both men embarrassed? At least Dean's cheeks were quite red and Castiel, well, he was Castiel. Perhaps a little more blushed than normal though. The younger Winchester felt the urge to kill himself right now. Right where he was standing!

„So you brought food too?" Dean asked, trying to cut through this very embarrassing silence. Sam handed Castiel the bag with his new clothes and indicated him to dress up in the bathroom.  
>Dean, in the meanwhile, had already attacked the food bag, searching for burgers and pie but the first thing he pulled out was salad. His mind was only capable to care about one thing at a time, so, the images of a completely naked angel in their room were blocked with his need to eat.<p>

„So, how exactly did you manage to get me out of that death trap? I didn't even know that it's even possible to turn from stone into flesh again." Sam grabbed the salad, placed his butt onto his bed and shared a few looks between his brother and the bathroom door, where the angel had disappeared behind.

Dean did not stop searching in the bag for pie, when he heard his brother's question.  
>„Dude, where'e the pie?" The older hunter grabbed the burger when he finally noticed the little box with a cake pictured on it.<br>„Aah, there you are."

„Dean?"

The older Winchester turned around, unwrapping the burger.  
>„Dean? How. Did. You. Get. Me. Outta. There?" his younger brother pressed. Sam knew exactly what his brother's behavior meant and he did not like it.<br>„Crowley." The hunter replied with a full mouth.

The door opened and Castiel stepped out of the bathroom. Both men turned their heads to the angel. They were quite surprised that the angel had managed to dress up on his own. Dean cocked his brows.

There Castiel was: black suit with a modern cut, a white button-down and a navy-blue tie hanging around his neck not knotted.  
>The tan trench coat was in his hand.<br>„Guess you bought the right size, Sammy." Dean said, whipping his hands on a paper towel.  
>„Well, no thanks to you, dude." Sam replied and turned his attention back to his wonderful salad for another bite.<p>

The older Winchester stepped closer toward the angel and grabbed his tie.  
>„You have to learn how to knot it." he said, closing the top-button of Castiel's shirt before knotting the silky cloth.<br>When he was done, Dean glanced down to the angels shoes and smiled.

„You tied your shoes, good." The hunter could not help but being a little disappointed though.  
>„I watched you doing it." was the calm reply.<br>When Sam cleared his throat both men froze.

„Dean, I asked you how you knew what to do to get me out of there?" The young Winchester was not stupid. He knew exactly that having the angel around he would find out what he wanted to know. Castiel could not lie. As expected, Castiel raised his voice.  
>„I asked Crowley to tell me what to do. In return he can ask me for a favor." Sam frowned. He turned his attention to Dean who obviously had to fight the boiling anger inside him.<p>

Apparently, the angel did that without involving his older brother.

„What favor?" Castiel moved his head from one side to the other.  
>„He did not say." Dean had walked back where he was standing before, attacking his burger again.<p>

„You mean like, he's showing up whenever he wants and can ask for whatever he wants?" Sam stopped poking into his salad for a second and stared at the angel since his brother was obviously not in the mood to talk anymore about deals and demons.  
>„Exactly." was the short reply from the angel, who slowly turned his gaze from the younger hunter towards his older brother.<br>Sam sighed heavily but his expression softened.

„Well, thanks Cas. You shouldn't have done it but still, I'm glad you got me out of there so fast. I dunno what might have happened if I went on dreaming too long." The confused look of the angel made the younger hunter purse his lips.  
>They seriously should thank him more often just to receive that startled look in Castiel's face.<br>„Which gets me to the more important question." Dean said with his mouth full and swallowed shortly before he continued.

„How was it? Being a fossil?" Sam closed his eyes and waited a few seconds until he had finished chewing.  
>He threw a happy smile towards his brother and shrugged softly.<br>„No big deal. It wasn't painful. It just felt like you were tired, like you haven't slept for days and it was relieving to close your eyes and just fade away. Not as bad as you might imagine it."

„Just sleeping and dreaming while we got nearly smashed out here. Lucky for ya Sam!" the older hunter growled while he opened the little pie box in front of him. His eyes filled with happiness and joy. Pie! Everything was just pie.

„I'm sorry? It's not like I wanted to be turned into stone or something. Besides, it wasn't that enjoyable to dream on forever. I don't want to remember that part."  
>When the younger Winchester noticed the concerned look on the angels face next to them, who was still standing at the same spot, holding his dirty coat over one arm, Sam got up from the bed placed his salad aside and took the dirty fabric from him.<p>

Dean seemed to be rather satisfied with his answer even though he knew he would have to tell him about Lucifer, but maybe he could wait a little longer.

Since his awesome big brother had tossed his bloody and dirty clothes around, he felt the urge to shout at him again, but remained calm and collected instead.

„By the way. I found a launderette. You can go and wash our stuff there." He simply stated, gathering the stuff from the ground before he threw the stuff on Dean's bed. The older Winchester made a face that spoke volumes.

„Sam..."  
>„No Dean."<br>„Sammy..."  
>„No."<br>„Saaaam."

They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. Non-visible sparks flowing and swords were clashed against each other. The angel switched between Sam and Dean, but could not figure out what was happening.

He simply did not understand all of this. Sam broke the intense staring and huffed angrily.

„Fine! I swear that's the last time I do it! You can't always expect me to do the dirty work and you sit around and do nothing. I'm not, I repeat, I'm not the one who's responsible for cleaning!"  
>He grabbed the now empty bag and smashed all of the dirty clothes inside, grumbling in annoyance.<p>

„Sure Sammy. You'll be my hero if you get me some fresh undies too!" Dean could just not hide his victorious grin and received another death glare and a ‚jerk' from his younger brother. He finished pushing all of their clothes down into the bag and turned towards the exit.

„Hey Cas." The angel turned his face toward the younger hunter.  
>„Keep an eye on him for me, ‚kay?" Sam continued and grinned a little.<br>He was not serious at all, but he felt like Castiel needed some kind of ‚work' to do instead of standing around staring into space. Before he left the room the angel gave him a slow nod in return.

Sam closed the door behind him, still feeling a bit annoyed since he had given in to his brother once more.  
><em>At least I've got time to call Bobby<em>, he could not tell Dean yet, but Bobby would listen to him for sure. With this thought, he left his brother and the angel alone.

An awkward silence had spread throughout the room when the door was shut. Dean tried to concentrate on his pie again, but his eyes travelled towards the angel automatically.  
>„Like he has to tell ya to look over me!" he said and grinned a little, since his brother had left them Castiel had not stopped staring at him for even a second.<br>A tickle ran down his spine. Sometimes the angel did not even need to do anything but stare to creep him out.  
>He took in a deep breath and smiled at his trench coat-less friend, before he patted the empty place next to him.<p>

„You make me way more nervous standing around and staring, sit down will ya?" With that he turned his attention towards the little box of pie again, took a look inside once more and the sight and scent filled his heart with joy.

Dean felt the bed move slightly when Castiel sat down next to him. Grabbing the plastic fork he started to enjoy the pie. Again, he felt the awkward silence over them gaining control and eating him from the inside out.

„Hey Cas, I know you... normally don't need to eat but I'd say you'd be an idiot for not trying this pie at least once!" The hunter broke the silence and threw a glance towards the angel. Castiel opened his mouth to obviously say he had no need for anything like that, but before he could start to refuse Dean ripped the box into two.

He moved one piece of pie on the other half and placed it into the angel's hand, piercing the sweet treat with another fork.  
>„Enjoy." he simply stated before his mouth attended to the very important mission of devouring his own pie.<p>

Castiel stared at the human made food in his hands, exchanged looks between pie and the not attention paying hunter. He wanted him to eat that thing? The Winchester always seemed to have a thing for these so called ‚pies' and since he shared it with him he might try to appreciate it. Gulping, he moved the fork decorated with a little piece of pie towards his mouth.  
>Several minutes passed with neither of them saying anything, just devouring the sweet treat in silence.<p>

Dean somehow missed the second piece on his side and when he finally finished his last bit, he turned his gaze towards the still chewing angel. Waiting and staring at him. _He really ate it,_ he thought and placed his trash on the night table next to the bed.

A second later Castiel moved past him and placed his part next to Deans, before he sat down again, hands on his legs and staring curious at the hunter.

The Winchester nearly started to laugh when he noticed a little bit of pie crumb remaining on the angel's mouth corner.  
>Castiel did not know why the man was smiling, but he seemed to be in a rather cheerful mood so he returned the smile and nearly grinned at the other.<br>His smile froze when he felt one fingertip of the hunter on his lips, brushing against them and taking the remaining pie away with it.

Dean was not sure if what he did right now was a good idea but it was too late to change it. With a swift move he sucked the crumb of pie from his finger while he kept staring at Castiel. A weird feeling grew in his stomach, but he kept smiling at the confused looking angel.

When Castiel lowered his head a bit, staring at the carpet in front of the bed, the hunter's attention moved towards the angel's hand which was tightly grabbing into the sheets.  
>Dean furrowed his brows and slowly placed his hand on top of his friends, firmly squeezing it.<br>Immediately, he felt regret when the angel flinched a bit, and buried his hand even deeper in the sheets and started shaking.  
>Castiel remained at the same spot nevertheless. His upper body was actually leaning a bit towards the hunter.<p>

„Cas? Everything alright?" Dean's hand reached out towards the angels shoulder, receiving a slight shiver from the other once more.  
>When Castiel finally looked up at the hunter he could not grasp what he saw in those blue eyes in front of him.<p>

Sam tucked the clothes into the washing machine, added washing powder and closed the door. The machine started to rattle and their clothes started to do barrel rolls in front of him. It would take some time for them to finish.

Since he could not really stand the interested looks of the women inside of the salon he decided to take a walk around outside, instead. Sam wondered why the hell anyone would wash their clothes so early in the morning.  
>Maybe this town was known for early birds. He had to call Bobby anyways, wondering if the demon, if Crowley, was still seeking safety from the old man or was just wasting space and nerves of the aged hunter.<p>

Waiting for his friend to answer his call, he tried to gather his thoughts about his meeting with Lucifer. Maybe it had been a dream after all?  
>„Sam? Is that you? Is everything alright?" The fast and surprised voice of Bobby was hearable. So the demon had told him about the accident and that he was a non-walking fossil for a while.<p>

„Yeah Bobby, everything's fine. Except that I'm reduced to do the laundry."  
>There was a short moment of silence before the old man replied.<br>„Well, at least better than being a stony figure, don't ya think?" Sam smiled. Bobby made a point.  
>„Tell, me boy. How're you doin'? What happened anyway?"<br>„Did Crowley not tell you that part?" A low growl was to be heard before the older hunter spoke.  
>„I wanna hear that from you, idjit, since this demon was way too happy in my opinion." Sam cocked his brows.<br>„Happy?"  
>„Yeah, didn't tell me why but it can't be anything good." Sam's smile disappeared. He knew exactly why the black suited demon was ‚happy'.<br>„Is Crowley there with you?"

„Na, had some work to do. Finally got some time for myself!" Bobby snarled a curse the young hunter could not understand but he did not need to.  
>The young Winchester inhaled as much air as his lungs were capable of to store.<br>„When I was trapped in that stone, you know..." he blurted out.

„I met Lucifer."

Silence.

For a moment there were only Bobby's breaths he could hear. Then.  
>„What did he say?" Sam's expression softened a little. Bobby did care about him and he would never stop.<br>„He tried to convince me to say ‚yes'. Tried to convince me that he's the only one I could ever trust." He sighed.  
>The young hunter stopped walking and looked around. He had not noticed where his feet brought him, but now he was standing in a park. At the other side he could see the Museum of Art. From the outside, it looked quite normal. No signs of any intruders. Sam bit his lower lip. He should go back to the launderette.<br>„Boy, don't let him get to you." Bobby said, worry in his voice.  
>„He needs you more than anything. Without you, he can't do anything. Well, not more chaos and death he already caused, I mean!"<p>

„I know. It's just, I want it to be over, Bobby. All of this."  
>„I know, son, I know. We will find a way, I promise." The old hunter paused for a moment.<br>„Does Dean know about it?" Sam frowned.  
>„No, he has his own problems of some kind."<br>„What does that mean?" He could not help but smile a little.

„There's some tension between him and Cas, lately. Even Gabriel noticed! Honestly, there's nothin' more I know. You know Dean, he's not talking and well, Cas is Cas!" He could hear the man laugh.  
>„Whatever it is, hope they sort it out soon! For now, I need to check on the laundry. Hear you later Bobby and thanks for listening, man."<p>

„Yeah, yeah, whatever, boy." was the grumpy voice and a curse followed. Apparently, Bobby was cooking something and let it burned.  
>Again, Sam could not stop laughing. What would they do without this old man, he did not know. The Winchester hang up and hurried back to the launderette. He went surprisingly far for such a short chat.<p>

„Cas? What's wrong?" Dean repeated himself and kept staring into the angel's half closed blue eyes. Something was wrong.  
>Suddenly, the angel stood up from the bed and was about to walk away when the hunter grew tired of the silent angel's behavior. He grabbed Castiel by the arm and pulled him back before he could walk away.<p>

He opened his mouth to ask the angel once more but he did not have the time to say any more, his back was pushed down onto the bed, his arms pinned next to his head and he could feel a sudden weight on top of him. How the hell could the angel be so fast? Dean was way too confused to yell or scream at first and remained quiet for a moment, immovable and just staring up towards the other man.

When his brain finally started to work again he realized what exactly the angel had done. His wrists were tightly trapped in Castiel's grip and it felt like a heavy weight was nailing his arms down. The angel was sitting astride on top of him, his lower body pressing against the hunters and making him unable to move.  
>Only his legs were somehow free but right when he tried to move them Castiel used his own legs to secure that Dean could not move away, not even if he wanted and did his best. He caught him and could do whatever he wanted, even kill him right there.<p>

„Cas, you have ten seconds to get the fuck off of me and explain what the fuck you think you're doing!" Struggling against the tight grip he yelled at the angel. As expected he did not gain any kind of reply from the topping angel who just kept staring straight down on him.

„Dude, get off of me! I swear I'll...!" Castiel lowered himself down and nearly touched the forehead of the hunter under him with his own, but, instead, he remained a few inches above of him.

„This isn't funny anymore. Get off me!" Dean kept yelling at him but he knew it was pointless. The angel was not listening to him or he did not want to listen at all.

All he could do was to stare into Castiel's face and search for any kind of sign, but all he could see was desire. Dean could not help it.  
>The angel was way too close to him, and either someone had turned on the heater in the room or his cheeks were burning.<br>The weight on top of him and the closeness of the other body made it even worse.

_No, don't think about it, just don't think about it_, he tried to keep his eyes shut and ignored that view in front of his face, but closing his eyes did not help him ignore the warm breath on his skin nor the heat that was building between their bodies. Castiel moved.  
>That was all Dean could recognize for now and he could feel the pressure against his lower half increasing.<br>His eyes shot open again and he realized what exactly was going on. The angel pressed his hip against his own and moved slowly but precise backwards and forwards, increasing the friction with each movement. Dean inhaled sharply at the sudden tension.

_Not good, that's not god_. He felt everything and it was definitely not supposed to feel like that. Castiel could not make him feel like that. When he felt his body giving in to the treatment he tried to struggle once more.

„Cas, snap out of it, that's not you!" Dean felt like talking to the angel, who was pretty much out of his mind, was useless but he could not do much else. He had to admit that Castiel was strong, way too strong for him, a simple little human. Someone seemed to think it was necessary to remind him of that fact at least once a day.

„You're not like that Cas. That's not you!" Dean repeated himself, less strong and confident than before since the movement of the angel made his mind go crazy.

It could not be that his body reacted that way, it just could not be, but it was and there was no way to deny it since he could feel it down in his crotch.  
>When the door of the hotel room opened, both men froze, but kept their gazes locked on each other.<br>„Hey guys I'm back. The clean clothes mission is... "

Sam was about to enter the room when he finally recognized what was going on or better, what he thought was going on right now.

„I'll be waiting in the car." he shortly added before he smashed the door shut again, walking away from the hotel as fast as possible, trying to remove the image from his head.  
>„Sammy? Come back!" Dean needed help and not some intimate time with the angel, but his brother was already gone again. A relieved sigh escaped him as he noticed the harsh grip on his arms weaken.<p>

„Cas?"

Castiel slowly sat up, still connecting their hips but his expression had changed from,_ Dean did not even dare to call it what it truly was, but the closest thing that came up in his mind with, was simple_, lust turned into a blank stare.

„Don't touch me again."

The words lingered in the room, but the angel had vanished into thin air, leaving the confused and slightly aroused hunter behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: Smack down<strong>

**It's a trap damnit!**


	10. Smack Down

**Updated Version**

****Thanks for reviewing once more. Each fav and alert is appreciated! ****

**Here we go again.**

**Dean desperately needs to get laid but somehow, all the boobs reject him. **

**Enjoy**

* * *

><p><strong>10. Smack Down<strong>

Ready for round one?

Sam sincerely needed to learn how to knock before he entered a room. He tried to remember that from now on, but he had to blame himself since he was the one who told Castiel to 'have an eye on his brother', though he knew that he did not mean it like '_that_'. At one point he was even glad to finally get to know what was going on since neither the angel nor his brother felt the need to tell him. But showing was another way of informing him.

At least, they were still wearing their clothes otherwise he would not be able to get the image out of his head so soon. Fine, if his brother was busy and relieving stress that way he would not interfere. Dean was his brother and if he chose to have that kind of stuff going on with an angel of the Lord it was certainly not his problem.

After he stuffed their newly washed clothes and bought ones into the trunk of the Impala he sat down on the drivers' seat.

There was no way he was going to sleep for a while, not when Lucifer had told him that he was waiting for these special little moments. Sam knew he could not stay awake forever, but at least he could try from now on.

Sam's gaze wandered back to the hotel. He could not help but smirk.

His awesome lady-killer-brother who was hundred, no thousand percent straight, had a relaxation time with their angel. He certainly would never stop teasing him with that one.

Especially with the fact, that Dean seemed to be not the one on top!

Oh no, that was way too much fun. The young man's smile grew. He would enjoy teasing his brother with that, for sure!

Suddenly, the entrance door of the hotel opened and his brother left the building. He looked a little stressed. Sam's smile grew more, even though it may have not been possible. He could watch his brother approach the Impala. His face still blushed. The younger brother opened the door.

"Wow, that was fast, dude." The older Winchesters face darkened. "Missin' the fun here. This guy's gone mental, man." Sam cocked his brows.

"What? Who? Castiel?" "Of course, who else do you think I'm talking about? He just... jumped on me!" Sam tried to hide a grin.

"Yeah, sure he did!"

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

Before Dean knew what he was doing, he sat down on the passenger seat and closed the door. Something was wrong with this position.

"What exactly do you think you're doin'?" He tried to ignore his inner conflicts and pushed them aside since the here and now was way more important.

"I'll be driving. What else does it look like?" Sam cocked one brow, still grinning at the flustered look of his brother. That tiny bit of red on the older Winchesters face was rather funny to look at.

"What makes you think you can drive my baby? Let's switch!" Dean opened the door and wanted to exit the car again when Sam shook his head and his voice darkened.

"You've been up the whole time I assume.

At least, that's what it looks to me. You got me out of the stone, therefore I'm gonna drive." Now it was on Dean to stare at his brother. He did not understand his logic but what he saw was his baby brother determined not to let him drive. Besides, he was definitely not in the mood to drive right now.

He had to think! And he certainly could not afford to drive his baby into the next tree or wall.

Dean sighed.

"Yeah fine, but this time only! Don't get used to it."

"Yeah, whatever you say, man." was the soft reply. The doors closed and the engine roared up.

Sam maneuvered the car from the parking lots onto the street, heading towards the closest highway. They should leave this small city before anyone noticed anything.

Half an hour later they noticed the route sign for Birmingham. Sam changed the lanes and joined the highway I-65. There, they could reallocate their resources and check for any signs of demon or angel activity.

Perhaps they were lucky and could have a proper hunt without getting smashed in an instant of a second.

They could also check for any more signs of Lucifer and the apocalypse. Calling Chuck would be a good idea since he was a prophet and supposed to know what was going on.

Sam turned his head slightly to watch his brother sleeping in the seat.

He was moving a little but still more than usually.

He frowned and turned on the radio. Music was blurring out and he turned down the volume.

The driver decides the music! One of Deans rules.

He remembered that smell. Last time, he was lucky enough to escape the sight and that awful smell shortly but since he woke up in this place, it seemed like the smell had already branded itself into his mind, so he would never forget it anymore.

When he first got aware of that scent it nearly made his soul cry. It was pitiful and disgusting at the same time, how could anyone stand that kind of smell? Cringing his nose he wished he could lose the ability to taste and smell.

That thought brought him towards his second sense.

His mouth was filled with a sweet, copper and sour taste, that made him want to vomit, to add another kind of 'flavor' to that mixture.

As he moved his tongue a bit he could feel a few lumps of coagulated blood, his reflex made him swallow but even that simple move was painful. His throat was dry and burning like someone had made him eat hot coals. Maybe he even did, he could not remember.

Why exactly was this happening and how did he get here in the first place?

He wanted to leave.

Leaving meant he had to move, but when he tried to send that signal through his body, the only response was a numb feeling and another aching pain flowing through his bones and muscles. It was not that bad, though.

He could stand pain but still, it was unpleasant. As he tried to clench his fists he could nearly hear a few bones crack but it could also have been just his memory from previous hours.

Previous?

What exactly happened before he woke up? With the noise of his own bones he noticed another of his senses was back and he would use it.

Every regained ability would lead him to the closure. Why and what was happening? His ears perked and tried to figure out what his surroundings could be. Was this some kind of room or corridor?

A cave?

A building?

He focused on every sound but the only thing that got him focused was a heavy breathing. It could not be himself.

He never had to breathe in such a short pace since he never really got that tired but still, the sound of those breathings matched perfectly to his moving chest.

The pain would have made grown men mad already, but he could stand it. He was not weak. He was not useless.

He was...

"Good to see you back once more, Castiel. I thought you'd passed out a bit too soon last time." a voice said cheerfully next to him.

The person obviously was in a happy mood today. What day exactly was it? He could not remember how long he had been here.

"Let's see, how much it takes, to make you squeal under this blade today, shall we?" With those words he stopped playing around with the angels own weapon and slowly, nearly softly traced it down over the bare chest of the angel.

Dean increased the pressure on the angels skin, leaving a thin but shiny cut right under his collarbone. The hours older marks of his treatment were already sealed shut thanks to the angel's still present ability to heal himself. That only would make it even more interesting to break the spirit inside that vessel.

The angel pulled at his chains, trying to free himself but in vain. Dean grinned.

"That's the spirit I wanna see." he said laughing, encouraging the angel to wriggle a little more by pressing the blade into his flesh.

Castiel escaped a low growl. And indeed, the chained angel pulled again on his chains, stronger than before.

The hunter let his gaze wander off.

"What a view." he purred, taking in the sight of the bonded angel. Blood staining and wettening his black pants, the arms and his head tied to the wall to prevent any moves.

Some wounds were only leaking blood, apparently not caused by the angel blade. Others were shining, like the one he had caused a few seconds before.

Castiel's expression had darkened. Hair was hanging in his vision, his bright blue eyes hidden behind half closed lids.

Dean moved his hand to the angels face, grabbing his chin tight and pulling it forward. Castiel hissed dangerously, staring right into the green eyes of the hunter.

"Don't you have to say somethin'? Anything? No? I'll make you say somethin' then." Dean whispered, moving closer and cutting the pale skin once more.

Neither of the two men averted the eyes from the other. Like a staring contest, they kept looking. Blazing green versus bright blue!

"What do you say? What do you want me to do?" Finally, Dean's gaze moved on, like his hand.

They moved down the throat and the bare chest, covering the fingers in the red liquid. The hunters hand and gaze stopped above Castiel's heart.

The angel tried to say something, at last, but he could not understand it. Dean moved closer to hear Castiel say something.

"Dean!" And again!

"Dean!"

"Dean." Sam was shaking his brother with one hand, while using the other to drive. The older hunter opened his eyes, alarmed immediately.

"I'm awake, I'm awake." he said, adrenaline rushing through his veins. For a second he was confused, not knowing where he was, then, his brain started to function again.

"You alright, man?" Sam asked concerned.

"You did not seem to enjoy dream world much!" he added, receiving a confused look.

"What? No, everything's fine. Was a bad dream! Some kind of." Dean saw his brother frown. "Flying... in a plain. Horrible and they had no pie!" he added, forcing a little smile onto his lips.

There was a short moment of silence, then, the eldest Winchester noticed the humming radio. He turned the radio up and made a face.

"What the hell, Sammy." he cursed, intending to change the frequency, but his brother stopped him.

"Driver picks the music, dude! This time it's me. You've got to live with that for now!" he said victorious.

"C'mon, that's not music, that's... urgh." Dean shuddered, earning a big smile from his little brother. "Sucks to be the passenger." he stated and drummed with his thumbs on the steering wheel.

"Bitch." he said and "Jerk." was the prompt reply of his brother.

Dean's gaze moved to the window. Watching the trees fly by he drifted into thoughts.

_What the hell is just wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with us?_ Apparently, the apocalypse showed some effects on them after all.

He could not explain those dreams and the weird behavior of the angel. The hunter sighed when he thought about what had happened in the hotel.

_What went wrong, what triggered such a reaction, I don't get it._ Dean cursed in his thoughts. _I need a girl_, he decided._ With big boobs, blond hair, easy to pick up. Yeah that's it_.

The eldest Winchester smiled. Tonight, he would get laid!

"Where almost there. The next exit should be ours." Sam said, cutting the silence. His brother turned around, checking his watch. It was past two in the afternoon. Lunch-time! The older hunter yawned and stretched as far as possible.

"That's good news. Need some food. Where's the next stop anyway?"

"Birmingham. Figured we could stop there for lunch. As you said, you're not the only one with a rumbling stomach." Sam replied, changed the lane and exited the highway.

Ten minutes later they approached the big sign stating the name of the City in front of them. "Welcome to Birmingham, Alabama. The magic City? Seriously?" Dean snored partially annoyed, partially surprised. His brother simply shrugged.

"We won't stay long anyway. Just enjoy the sight." Sam kept looking for some kind of diner. His brother turned with a 'whatever' back to the window, paying no attention to his brother. He sighed.

"Dude, any slower and a snail can bypass us."

Pause.

"I'm driving the mandatory speed, dude. I won't get caught due to excessive speed." Sam deadpanned. Another sigh from the older brother!

"You wanna talk..."

"No, shut up." This time it was up to Sam to sigh.

His brother was unbelievable stubborn.

The brothers stopped at the first restaurant they saw. It was one of those cheap ones, but still better than a diner. Sam was determined to eat there: reasoning, that they needed normal food and could not live of burgers and salad only.

Dean had disagreed as always, but when he noticed the nice waitress with the blonde dyed hair he was very enthusiastic.

He poked his brother and indicated him to check the woman out. Sam frowned and curled his lips a little.

"Not bad." he said, receiving a glare from the older Winchester.

"Saw her first!" he replied and both men took a seat.

Five minutes later that very waitress with the blonde hair approached their table. Her eyes immediately rested on Sam moving quickly to Dean and back to Sam.

"Hello, what can I get you, sweetheart?" she asked with a high pitched voice, handing them the menus.

"A Miller and do you have any starters?"

"Sure, I recommend Sally's tomato soup. Sally is our cook. People come here because they like her cooking." Dean rolled his eyes.

Being ignored like that was not something he liked much.

"Than one soup please, thanks." Sam said, looking at his brother with an apologizing expression.

"And what do you want?" That was a punch in the face. Her voice was not high pitched anymore, it was more a disliked growl, but still polite.

Dean put on his best seductive smile.

"Budwiser, if you don't mind... Mandy." The woman cocked her brows, turned around and left.

Half the way back, she turned her head to smile at Sam, before she disappeared behind a door. Dean stared at Sam.

"Dude, the hell?" The younger Winchester simply shrugged.

"What? Not my fault that you're not her type." he replied frowning.

"Yeah, whatever."

The whole time Dean tried to get the waitress' attention but she did not bother and ignored the hunter in every way possible.

When she served the beers, she smiled at Sam. When she came back with his starter she leaned a little into him.

When the brothers ordered their lunch she ignored Dean as much and polite as possible, constantly starring at Sam.

When Dean finally realized that he had failed completely, he tried another waitress. With the same result! Sam had stayed quiet, but kept watching though.

While eating, they did not talk much.

Dean was pissed from head to toe and Sam did not know what to do, because he did not want to be the one who got showered in his brother's anger.

Suddenly, Dean started to move uncomfortably on his seat. He started to search for something in his pockets until he found it.

With a full mouth he glared at the display of his cell phone. He picked up and mumbled a "Chuck?" Sam stopped eating as well, curious looking at his older brother.

Usually, when Chuck called, it did not mean anything good. And he was right when Dean's expression darkened. The older hunter swallowed before he started talking.

"Where? Haleyville? Got it!" Pause.

"How many? Don't know? Okay. Fine, We'll handle that. No problem." Again, silence. "You alright?"

Pause.

"Yeah. Whatever you say, dude." Dean took the phone from his ear and looked at it. He was a little confused.

"He just hang up on me! The hell?" he said and turned to Sam.

"Job?" He nodded.

"Job!"

A few minutes later they left the restaurant, Sam noticed a phone number and a little drawn heart under their bill. Before his brother could notice it he scrunched it up and threw it in a nearby bin.

"Demons? That's all Chuck said?"

He entered the Impala on the passenger site, knowing his brother would not even let him try to argue about who was driving, Dean was way too tensed right now.

"Yeah. Killing some innocent people he said and we're such kind hunters to go and save the rest of the town before it's a demon city. Something like that."

The older hunter placed himself onto the seat and minutes later they were back on the road again.

Dean inserted one of his favorite tapes and turned up the volume, playing one of his favorite songs, _Ramble On_ by _Led Zeppelin_ for the nearly nine millionth time and making his younger brother flinch next to him.

_Sweet revenge!_

He grinned, sang along for a while and kept his gaze onto the highway, looking out for the Haleyville road sign.

"So, why is Cas not with us right now? Somehow I got used to have him around the whole time. Did you break his little heart or something?" Sam said yelling, trying to drown the music with his own voice.

"I can't hear you Sammy!" Dean turned up the volume even more, making the music nearly hurt in their ears but he would not talk about the angel.

He would not think about him.

He would not do anything else regarding the angel until his brain was ready to deal with whatever had happened in that hotel room.

Sam gave up again and sunk into the seat.

It was useless but he would not stop trying to get answers from his brother who seemed to enjoy sulking in his huge pile of secrets and lies.

That could never be healthy, not at all.

"One more thing Sammy: I dare ya, if you even start to sniff on any demon blood when we reach the town I'm gonna drag your ass back to Bobby and never let you outta that bunker again. Got me?" Dean yelled even louder over his own music.

Sam just rewarded his brother with an annoyed look and stayed silent for the rest of the ride.

A few hours later

"Alright. So, we have like what? No murder? No missing people? No parents gone mad? Not even a lost kitten? What the hell is wrong with this town?" They walked across the 21st Street towards the, as some citizens had stated, only bar in the whole town.

Spending all day asking around and playing FBI did not get them any answers or hints of any kind of demon activity.

Dean needed a drink or two or more.

"Maybe the prophet has lost his mojo too since god is out of town?" the older hunter suggested, kicking a few rocks in front of him into the high grass near the road. Sam shook his head in disbelieve. A prophet could not lose his god given power all of a sudden.

"Maybe Chuck forgot that it hasn't happened yet? Probably it will happen in the next few days?" Sam still believed that somehow the prophet was right.

Dean stopped in front of a sign stating '_Bank's Bar-B-Que_'. Hopefully, he could find himself some nice little lady who was not too picky and would not prefer his younger, taller, blood addict brother. He smiled full with anticipation and entered the not quite bar not quite restaurant like house. His smile died a little when he noticed that he was lucky if he could get drunk in here.

"That's not even a pub. They don't even have a proper bar in this town!" he said quietly since there was not even some kind of loud music playing in here.

Just a young lady sitting on a small chair in front of a small crowd playing a song with her not that small guitar!

Sam enjoyed the look of the little restaurant not quite pub and let his eyes travel across the room, searching for an empty, not too open but free table where they could settle down. He grabbed his brother by the arm and dragged him over to a group of tables standing in corner. At least they could talk and discuss what to do next in here without getting too much attention.

Dean kept his eyes locked on the girl with the guitar and did not even care where his brother was dragging him to.

The song she was playing ended right when they sat down and the dark brown haired girl left the small stage right after the audience started to applaud.

The older hunter made a face and turned his attention towards his brother.

"Is it just me or is the flesh burning to ash somewhere behind the counter?" He was not sure if they should stay in the shabby pub or just run before they got infected with something.

Sam was about to reply something when two huge menus were held in front of their faces. The cards were shaped like the body of a bull and decorated in red orange colors and the name of the pub was written in golden letters.

"I recommend the daily special. It includes a bit of everything and is great for the first visit in Bank's Bar-B-Que!" a friendly female voice said and when Dean looked up from the menu his eyes went wide. It was the girl who had been playing the guitar, who was now wearing an apron and had her hair tugged into a ponytail.

A huge smile grew on his face and he leaned back into the seat.

"Well if you recommend it, it must be good." he stated, his eyes traveling towards the name tag of the girl. "Myra." he added with another big, cheerful smile. Sam only furrowed his brows and took a look over the menu.

"I guess I will risk the 'Hot and spicy dare me plate'. Sounds like fun to try and a simple water please." He closed the menu and gave the waitress a slight smile.

"Well if you insist I could call the ambulance right away if you prefer it." Myra joked and smiled at the younger hunter before she turned her gaze back towards Dean, still smiling friendly.

"Would you like a bottle of our special town-brewed beer to your order? It's one of the best in this area."

The older Winchester had started to observe the female a little further and was ripped out if his examining eventually.

"Sure, I'll take whatever you want me to." He winked at her and smiled promising. It seemed to work well since Myra did not frown nor removed her happy smile.

"If you just buy everything on the menu and tip me well afterwards, I'll be fine." She took the menus away holding them in front of her breasts and turned towards the kitchen. Dean licked his lips as he watched the waitress leave.

Once in a while, even he had to be lucky. Sam leaned closer over the table and to his brother. "Dean, you know if you're so desperately seeking to get laid, you could just let Cas..."

"Don't dare end that sentence or I swear I'll make you regret every second from now on." the older Winchester said in a pressed and dark voice, staring bloody holes into his brother who just shut his mouth, swallowed and turned his head around, searching for anything weird in the pub.

Right after Myra delivered their order she returned to the small stage and grabbed her guitar, gaining cheers from several customers and continued to play a song.

While Sam was rather proud of himself that he did not burst into tears eating the spicy plate, Dean could not even enjoy his meal since he kept his eyes locked on their waitress who was a pretty good musician too.

It seriously must have been his lucky day.

"Hey, are we gonna call Chuck and ask if he might named the wrong town or date or are we goin' to sit around and wait 'til anything happens?" Sam took a few sips from his water and exhaled happily. He had survived, but his face had turned red in the process and he felt slightly hot all over his body.

Not an unpleasant feeling, but his tongue was killing him. "Maybe we should just wait a bit longer." Dean said, his head leaned on one hand and his elbow placed on the table.

When the song was finally over the hunter started to cheer and applaud even louder than the rest of the customers. Myra even threw a look towards him and grinned a little. Everything was going well.

_Tonight I'll be a lucky laid man_, Dean thought and watched as their waitress left the stage, ready to cash them up. She was tugging at her apron and hurried over to them.

"Everything fine with you two?" She grinned and shared looks between the two Winchesters, as she noticed Sam's red face she started to giggle.

"I'm proud of you! You're the first one who managed the whole plate!" She patted the younger Winchesters shoulder before she turned her attention back towards the older brother.

"So, do you always play in here or only on Saturdays?" he started a little small talk before he wanted to get to the point. Myra simply nodded, her hand still laid down onto Sam's shoulder. "I can't pay my room with just tips and the salary of a waitress. Therefore, I usually play and entertain the people in this town. It's also not much but cheering them up and playing music is what keeps me goin'. Anyway time to pay me out, guys!" she said smirking and opened her purse.

"So you're room, where is it? Maybe I could take a look inside. Ya know we're inspectors and we might find something to help ya drop the bills." Dean was proud of himself for thinking about such a gorgeous excuse to just get into her pants. He would find another one to make his brother leave later.

Myra looked surprised and turned her attention towards Sam.

"Really? That would be great! My tap is leaking and I always wondered if I could lower the charges if they don't repair it!" Her hand grabbed slightly into the younger hunters shoulder before she lowered it down into Sam's back.

"So, I'm done for today, would you mind to come and inspect my current state?" Dean's jaw went open.

He could not believe it. Sam stared upwards into Myra's face as she leaned down a little, obviously showing her real intention and kind of inspection. His younger brother did not even seem to notice at first, what a moron. Sam switched between his brothers mouth agape face to Myra's seductive smiling face.

She removed her apron, removed her hair tie and waited for the young hunter to stand up who was still busy grabbing money out of his wallet.

When he felt her hand on his own pulling him upwards, he finally understood what the hell was going on. Sam slowly turned his gaze towards his brother and tried to express his best 'I'm so sorry' expression he could come up with.

It did not help Dean's ego a tiny bit!

The waitress moved her arm around Sam's and dragged him away from their table. Dean still could not believe it.

He stared at his brother and internally wished for Sam to die at his feet. While the younger Winchester and Myra left the pub Dean ordered another beer but switched his order into their best Whiskey, whatever they called their best.

If he would not get laid today he could easily just get drunk as fuck.

It did not take Dean long to get drunk. After a few shots of Whiskey he had decided to make the 'barkeeper' or who that dude was supposed to be to mix his drinks. If he did not get laid, fine, he still could get seriously drunk.

The hunter made a face and finished his drink.

It was some mix of rum, orange juice and whiskey with a little cherry swimming in the liquid. It did not taste very nice but it was effective.

He already felt his body burning. It was time to leave. Otherwise he would throw up sooner or later. He felt a taste of bile in his throat and decided for the former.

Dean stood up and hit the table, almost falling back into his seat. Catching his balance, he left some money next to his glass and staggered to the door. Outside, he inhaled the cold fresh air. The hunter was surprised to see that it was dark.

_How long have I been drinkin'?_ Dean scratched the back of his head before he stared to walk, but then, suddenly, stopped again. Where to go? The hunter looked around. They had not rented a motel room yet and he certainly would not sleep in his car. "Ah, shit." the man growled and started walking. At least, he tried to, but the pavement beneath his feet was shaking.

Not far away of the bar slash restaurant slash whatever this building was, Dean found himself staggering across a little park.

He noticed a bench and he sat down. It was way safer to sit instead of walking around during an earthquake. The man's back hit the back rest of the bench and his head fell backwards. Now, all Dean saw, was the dark blue sky with little white dots.

He snarled unpleasant.

"What a shitty day, jeez." The Winchester sighed and wrinkled his nose. Being dumped three times at one day, that certainly was not his lucky day!

"Sammy got lucky, yeah, great." he murmured with a big yawn.

"Lucky bastard." Deans gaze moved from the sky to his pants.

_Perhaps, I could_, he trailed off.

"Nope, not that desperate. Not yet." he said, shaking his head violently.

Dean growled again, a little louder than before. He remembered his brother's words from earlier.

_If you're so desperately seeking to get laid, you could let Cas... sure Sammy. What the hell is wrong with us recently? As if Cas and I could ever... stop. I'm not gonna think about it._ The man turned his attention back towards the sky.

He felt anger boiling inside. How dared this little angel to behave like that?

_This little bastard._ Dean snarled threateningly.

"Cas! I know you can hear me. Move your ass down here. Oh, right, you're not in heaven, are ya? I dare ya to show up, dude. Jump from whatever roof you're sittin' on! We need to talk, you little kinky angel!"

Silence.

Dean waited for any sound that could come from the angel's wings but nothing.

"Don't you dare to hide, I swear I'll find you and if I do, I'll kick your ass. Dammit, Cas, c'mon. Talk to me, man! You can't stay away forever, ya know?"

He stopped again to wait for a few seconds.

Again: nothing.

"Cas, please. Let's just talk, okay? I'm not gonna do anything to ya. I promise." He heard himself laugh inside his head.

_As if you could harm anyone in your current state, Winchester._ The hunter sighed.

"Cas? I said please. I'm sorry okay? I'm just..." he trailed off, closing his eyes.

He waited for the sound of wings approaching, but the result was the same.

Dean opened his eyes and looked around him just to make sure that the angel was not anywhere nearby.

"C'mon Cas! Don't make me goddamn plead! What do you want me to do dude! Falling down on my knees and praying holy prayers to you or what?" He stood up from the bench nearly trying to fight the air just to relieve his anger.

How could everyone leave him alone like this?

"It's rather pathetic watching Michael's vessel pray to a vermin instead of real angels." The sound of wings was hearable but it sounded different in Dean's ears, not like Castiel, not like his friend.

With a slight jump he turned around and stared into the face of an old, nearly bald headed man in a black suit, wearing the smile of a candy man, who lured little kids into his vehicle.

"Zachariah." Dean gained his self control back and started to grin mischievously.

"I pray to a pretty angel and the heavens send me Mr. Clean? I might be desperate but that's just gross. Thanks, but no thanks."

The angel returned the hunters smile.

"You're nothing but a little ant, I wouldn't be that cheeky if I was you."

"Oh really, why not? You wanna teach me a lesson?" Dean asked smiling bright.

"Oh you can bet I'll do! Just turn around and see for yourself."

With his index finger, Zachariah indicated to a point behind the hunter and Dean turned around. He gulped.

There were three more angels and all looked quite ready to jump at him. He smiled a weak smile.

"If you think I'm scared now you're wrong. I'm not gonna say 'yes' to Michael." He turned his attention back to Zachariah, when he heard the angel move.

"Oh, Dean. Don't be like that. I think the alcohol went to your head, did it? You're quite drunk and people do very stupid things if they are drunk. Or maybe, in our case, you might do the right thing."

The Winchester moved backwards but was grabbed tight by two angels. He hissed.

"Nobody's there to help you, boy. No little useless angel, no little Sam. Just you and me! What do you think? Is it possible to make you say 'yes?" The angel was way too close, Dean decided and turned his head away.

"I don't know what you're dreaming of, dude but I'm not gonna say 'yes'. You want me to tattoo it onto my forehead for ya?"

A fist hit his yaw and Dean yelled painfully.

"Keep joking, you'll stop soon enough." Dean smiled.

"Just wait for Cas. He's gonna kick your little servants asses outta here." Another punch landed on his face.

_Outch, there goes my nose._

"From what I've heard, your little pet angel won't come to help you. Seems like you pissed him off, didn't you? Besides, he can't find you, right? The sigils, right? Too bad, I wanted to talk to him as well. Another day, maybe." Dean spit out some blood and prepared himself for another punch but it did not come.

Suddenly, all four angels moved.

The one free available angel rushed forwards and was hit by an angel blade directly in his chest. Dean turned his head and saw his angel.

"Castiel, now I'm surprised. I can't tell if it's bravery or stupidity but you shouldn't have shown up."

"Let him go!" the angel said, ignoring Zachariah's statement completely.

"Castiel. Why are you doing this? I mean, look at you. What have you become? So week and your wings: disgusting. What do you think?"

The other two angels made an agreeing noise. It took Dean a while before he understood what they were talking about.

Castiel narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.

"Let him go."

"Or what? You wanna kill us? Really? Castiel, please. You can't win this." Zachariah shrugged when the other angel did not back off. He waved his hand and indicated one angel to take care of their disobedient brother.

"I don't think he'll last long. However, back to business. Let's discuss your role as Michaels vessel one more time, shall we?" the older angel continued, smiling.

Dean ignored the angel completely, his attention caught by the angel fight in the background. Bad-ass angel versus Castiel!

It did not look good, Zachariah's angel was standing between Castiel and his angel blade and could not do anything but to back off and avoid to get killed.

"Look at that, your angel has some bite left, I guess. Fighting for such an idiotic little ant like you, giving up everything for you and your brother. I really cannot understand his actions. Seriously Dean, look at him. He was a mighty being and now he's like Lucifer. A fallen, disgusting and disobedient little obstacle I have to get rid off!" Zachariah shrugged again, looking at the hunter.

"You know, when I made you say 'yes' to Michael and Lucifer can walk in Sam's body, I will take care of little Castiel and throw him into hell by myself or maybe I will kill him, I haven't decided yet!"

Dean's green eyes moved to lock with Zachariah's blue eyes.

"You're talking too big, don't ya think? That ain't not happen. The only one who's gonna die is you. Promise you that!" Zachariah laughed loudly but his smile froze when the painful cry behind him cut threw.

Castiel had managed to kill the other angel with his own blade. He stepped off the dead body and glared at the remaining two angels.

Dean noticed the wounds his angel had. They did not seem life threatening, but still there was a thin ray of light shining out of them and his chest was moving fast.

The hunter gasped.

Zachariah's face was disfigured with rage. He grabbed the Winchester on his upper arm and snarled at the third angel.

"Get him. Now!" The other angel moved without a word forward and landed a direct hit on Castiel. The bad-ass angel pinned Castiel's arm to his back, immobilizing him.

"You little unthankful thing. How dare you? You truly don't belong into heaven anymore. You belong to Lucifer and his little crowd of weak and disgraceful abominations."

The angel's eyes widened and Dean could see something in them he did not like to see: fear.

"C'mon Cas, don't listen to that bastard. He doesn't know anything. You're not like Lucifer and you're certainly not like him, fuck..." Dean yelled painfully when Zachariah threw him onto the pavement and pressed his foot down his back.

"Shut up you little vermin. I'm talking to Castiel!" the angel hissed and turned back to Castiel. The Winchester saw the angel struggle to free himself but in vain.

"Why don't you stop at last? Seriously, what is so important about this human? He's nothing special but you keep fighting for him like a dog in a cage. Childish behavior will not be tolerated. I will end your existence tonight, Castiel. Say hello to Lucifer!"

"I don't think so!" Zachariah turned around and was confronted with a pretty angry looking Sam Winchester holding a guitar with a banishing sigil in one hand.

"No, no. Don't you dare..." Before the angel could say or do anything else Sam hit the sigil with his free in blood covered hand and light started to burn the darkness away.

The next moment Zachariah was gone.

The other angel was enough distracted that Castiel could kick his legs and make them both fall.

"Cas!"

Dean got up to his feet, but stumbled and fell again. Both Winchesters had to watch how the bad-ass angel bored his blade into Castiel's flesh.

With a cry he turned around and jumped away from the other angel and his blade.

Heavy sighing Castiel picked up his own blade before both angels crashed into each other once more.

The older hunter clenched his fists when his gaze wandered over a little stone.

Dean did not hesitate to pick it up and threw it against the bad-ass angels head. It may have not been enough to hurt the angel but it was enough what it took for Castiel to kill his brother.

Both, the dead body and Castiel collapsed on the ground.

The younger Winchester moved forward, intending to help the angel, but Castiel held his hand up to stop him.

"Don't touch me, Sam. Stay away, all of you!" he hissed breathless.

Covering the wound with his other hand Castiel tried to stand up again.

"Cas, you need help." Sam said with honest worry in his voice.

"There is nothing you can do, Sam, but thank you." Sam nodded and helped his brother up.

"Cas..." Dean started, but was cut off by the angel.

"Dean, no."

"But..."

"No!" The angel's voice was determined not to let the man say anything else.

He knew exactly what the hunter wanted to say and he said it anyway ignoring the angel's wish. That was Dean!

"Cas, it's not true what Zachariah said. You're not like that and you know that!" Castiel's expression darkened.

"It is easy for you to say such thing because you did not rebel against god and his will. You did not kill your brothers and sisters. You were not disobedient. You have not been cast out of your family. You don't know anything, Dean." He stopped, biting his lower lip, apparently thinking about something.

Then, Castiel continued.

"I thank you for your help, Sam. You better leave this city before others will come to finish what Zachariah started."

And with this the angel vanished.

Dean growled deeply when he heard the fluttering sound of wings. Castiel was gone, again. "Next time I see him I'm goin' to kick his ass even if he throws me through a wall afterwards." he mumbled more to himself than to his brother who was trying to help him stay on his feet. The older Winchester looked up at Sam and furrowed his brows.

"Why exactly are you here? Shouldn't you be shaggin' our waitress?" While he took his brothers hand he tried to remove the dirt from his freshly washed trousers, still fighting to keep his balance.

Why did they even bother washing them?

"Well, if you mean sex, no, we didn't 'cause I got a message from Chuck." Sam simply said and held up his phone in front of his face.

Dean narrowed his eyes and started to read the few words. 'He's gone now. Don't go there! It's a trap! Chuck'

Dean read the message twice before he felt his own face turn into a plain annoyed stare. "Seriously. Next time I see him..."

"You're gonna kick his ass. I got it Dean. You're goin' to kick asses all day from now on." Sam ended his sentence and deleted the message from the way too late prophet.

"Shut up, Sam. Just, shut up."

Twenty minutes later, both men were sitting in the Impala heading north. Sam had shoved his brother onto the passenger seat.

His brother was still drunk even though he had insisted '_it was not that bad anymore_'. Now, they were back on the highway and Dean told him about Zachariah. He had told him about what the angel had called Castiel.

The humiliations he had said, the fights. The part where the hunter had prayed for the angel was not mentioned at all during the conversation.

Dean shook his head.

"That bastard, how can he call Cas an abomination? Dammit! I'm gonna tear him another hole if he talks to Cas like that ever again!" He was angry.

Very angry. And he was drunk enough not to be able to control his anger levels.

Sam had kept his mouth shut and just listened. He had always believed that angels were gorgeous pure and _good_ beings. But this was just…

He almost hated them as much as demons. Castiel was the exemption. He was their friend. And hearing somebody treating his friend like that made his rage boil inside. Nevertheless, he kept focusing on the details since his brother was mixing everything up and not telling the story from the beginning to its end in a straight line.

When Dean had finished talking, Sam opened his mouth, inhaling deeply.

"So what you're sayin' is, that Zachariah humiliated Cas and apparently, it got on him because you could see it in his eyes?"

"Yeah." Dean said with his mind absent.

"But, you know, he's kinda right." The older Winchesters had spun around.

"Come again? I'm not sure I understood you right?"

"You did, Dean and you know I'm right. It would be so much easier to go back to heaven. He would be back to normal then. I think that's better than being an outcast of your own family, lost in a world you don't understand, without any powers, anymore. It must be hard for him to do all those things. Remember what Gabriel said. He said, Castiel was angry! Apparently, he can feel and what he feels is rage. He's only existing but not living. Cas may not be aware of it but I'm sure he misses heaven. The worst thing that could happen to him was to fall and now..."

"Sam, the point!" Dean interrupted, massaging his eyelids.

"What I'm sayin' is: Castiel has quite a hard time. He's alone somewhere and we can't help him because we're mere humans. He's fighting against heaven and hell!" Dean nodded understandingly. This was nothing new to him, when he was perfectly honest, but, until now, he had managed to ignore that fact.

"But he's got us. You, Bobby, me!" he murmured under his breath.

"But we're not forever!" Dean closed his eyes. His brother was so damn right.

Suddenly, Dean started moving hastily in his seat.

"Stop, Sammy. Stop the car." he yelled and his baby brother hit the brakes.

"What the hell?"

Before he could do anything else, Dean had thrown open the door and jumped out of the car.

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><p><strong><strong>Pretty short chapter but we had a point.<strong>**

****Next Chapter: The last resort****

****Will Dean ever learn his lesson?****

**Stay tuned!**


	11. The last resort

****Updated Version****

**Welcome back to Reasons!**

**Hope everyone enjoyed our fic so far and if not, leave a comment why ;) **

**We love comments even evil ones!**

**Attention: This chapter contains blood, gore and a bit of torture... if you can't stand it you should stop reading when you come across the "He remembered that smell" line and skip down a bit.**

**Otherwise enjoy! Hopefully we'll survive friday! Good luck everyone.**

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><p><strong>11. The last resort<strong>

When worse comes to worst

Dean did not get that far before he bent over. The sick feeling in his stomach made its way up towards his throat and he emptied the 'daily special' together with whatever was left inside him onto the ground.

Sam remained in the car for a moment, waiting for his brother to finish what he had started, grinning slightly in amusement, but also in disgust as the noise of his puking brother reached his ears.

His brother obviously had overboard his limits. Finally, Dean seemed to have nothing left to spit out and he shivered for a second.

_That was unpleasant, no more playing barkeeper_, he thought and wiped his mouth clean with his jacket, before he turned around and stared back at his brother.

"Dude, we have to stay here for a while. I dunno if I could stand my babies love vibes for any longer." A little burp escaped him and made his throat burn painfully. Sam got out of the car and smashed the door shut.

"You wanna stay here? I thought we should leave this area as fast as possible before Zachariah comes back." _And kicks your ass twice this day,_ he added in his thoughts, but his expression was worried and alarmed.

"C'mon. You need some rest too! When was the last time you got some sleep? In your fossil state right? So, just rest here. That bastard won't think we're that stupid to stay in the same spot anyway." Dean made his way towards the trunk of the Impala and opened it, retrieving a few cottony blankets and whipped them over his babie's hood.

No Scratches on the hood, no way.

Sam just stood there, watching and disbelieving. His brother was serious and he could not change his mind.

"Fine, you can rest I will... secure the area." he said, but instead he pulled out his electronic equipment. The younger Winchester sighed in annoyance.

He did not even get a signal here, his phone was useless and his laptop consequently too. As he turned around he noticed a tourist information plate, stating 'Welcome to Dismals Canyon, enjoy your stay'.

Sam would definitely not enjoy a minute without his devices working properly. A thick white fog was creeping among the woods and was dancing in the headlight of the Impala. Prospecting to stay in this place and eventually fall asleep was not what the younger hunter wanted right now.

"Dean, let's just drive to another town. You'll survive another ten minutes will you?" Dean was already on top of his beloved car, head turned straight towards the clear sky, staring at the stars.

At least those light dots did not turn and spin like the ground under his feet.

He already knew: the headache would probably kill him when he woke up a few hours later. When he caught his brother staring angrily at his phone he sat up again.

"Hey Sammy, just quit it for now and take a nap, too! You haven't been sleeping at all! C'mon!"

Dean even moved aside so his brother and he could share the blanket and the stars above them. Sam walked back to the car but stopped in front of it.

"I'm fine Dean. I'm not tired or sleepy. I just stay awake and make sure we won't get discovered by demons, angels or whatever may crawl through these woods." he said and threw his brother a slight smile, followed by a little yawn, which made the older brother furrow his brows.

"Yeah sure. Stop pretending and climb up here."

"No, Dean." Sam stayed right where he was, unwilling to even sit down, fearing, he would fall asleep in the process.

He had to stay awake.

"Sam, whatever it is that makes you uncomfortable: we have an angel watching over us. We won't die and even if we do, we will be brought back. It's that simple. So stop whining. Get over it and come here." The older Winchesters patience was running out but the alcohol in his head also made him grin like a maniac.

He even patted the free spot next to him but flinched when his action reminded him of Castiel and his pie. He could kill for a piece of pie right now.

"I don't want to sleep, Dean. I just... I just can't." The older Winchester was staring at Sam with a blank expression, searching for anything that might explain his younger brother's behavior.

"Dreams."

The young hunter simply said shrugging. Dean furrows one brow.

"Dreams?"

"Dreams." Sam repeated shortly and finally, he made his way up onto the hood of the Impala and lay down next to his brother.

"What kind of dreams?" Dean kept staring at him in disbelieve. Since when was his brother afraid of dreaming? Sam needed not much time to come up with a false excuse.

"It's Jess. It's like in my dreams she keeps calling for my help and when I try to save her... clowns get in my way and I turn back into a 7 year old. It's not funny Dean!" His brother bursted out laughing at the clown part before he turned quiet again.

"Sorry but the clowns..."

"Yeah, I know: funny. Whatever you've been dreamin' lately must've been wonderful, too." The younger Winchester was happy enough that his brother believed his lie and did not really care for the burst out of him.

"Don't mention that. I'm currently too happy and weary to even give a damn about angels and demons right now." Dean tried to focus on a group of stars and waited for his view to stop swirling.

It just would not stop!

"Sure, whatever you say." Sam replied silently, turning his attention towards the woods once more.

"They're just dreams Sammy, they can't hurt ya. So, just shut your mouth, shut your eyes and rest!" Dean turned his head away and shifted himself into a comfortable position.

He did not even believe in his own words since his dreams have not been that great lately either.

Hopefully, he was way too drunk to remember whatever he might dream later that night. The younger Winchester stared at his older brother for a few more seconds before he turned his gaze towards the stars.

Sam closed his eyes hesitantly and prayed to god, who was not listening, that he would not start dreaming again.

There was this nice scent that invaded his nose and he liked it. Sam looked around and found what he was searching for.

A little garden, no, a greenhouse, to be precise. He walked over and pushed the door open. It was a little too warm inside, but this was normal for such places. He frowned.

"I know this place." he whispered under his breath and followed the long path. The hunter stopped at a giant tree and his frown deepened.

"This is the place which you've visited with your brother once." Sam's eyes widened. He did not need to turn around to know who had spoken to him. A shiver ran down his spine, when he slowly turned around.

"Hello, Sam. It's good to see you, again." the other man replied with a soft smile on his lips.

"Lucifer!" The man shrugged and giggled a little.

"Of course, dummy. Who else if not me!" he said a little offended.

"I care about you, Sam. More than you might think." he continued and earned a disbelieving look from the Winchester.

"Sam, you always think I'm telling lies, don't you? But that's not true, you know. Think about it. How often have I lied compared to my brothers?" Sam furrowed his brows. If he was honest, the angel was right.

"Okay. Got that point. But that doesn't change anything!"

Lucifer smiled happily and moved a little closer, pretending to look at the plants and trees they were surrounded by.

"You know, I'm glad that you followed my advice to sleep, Sam. Our last conversation was, well, kinda short, don't you think so too?" he said and kept moving. Sam followed suit, with a big distance though.

"I really like those creations. Father did certainly a good thing."

"Then: why destroying everything?" Lucifer turned around, surprised by that question.

"I don't want to destroy it."

"But you will, if you fight against Michael." The angel sighed.

"Yes, that is right, unfortunately. But..." He lifted one finger.

"If you say 'yes' I could prevent that from happening." the angel continued smiling. Sam rolled his eyes.

"This is getting annoying, you know! I'm not going to say 'yes'. Never."

"Aww, Sam. Don't be like this. I know you'll let me in. And do you know why? Because I'm the only one who knows your real self!" The hunter snarled.

"Don't think so."

"Sam, don't be mean. You know as well as I do that you don't tell Dean everything. I guess, you did not even tell him about our last chat." The angel wiggled his brows, his eyes still resting on the tall hunter who was moving uncomfortably.

"See! What did I say? I know you very well Sam. And this is nothing you have to be ashamed of. You and I, we are very alike. Rebelling against our father, let down by our older brother, treated like an outcast." Sam shook his head.

"I'm refusing to listen to any more you'll say. We're nothing but different. I'm not gonna say 'yes', neither will Dean to Michael. We're gonna kick your ass back into the dark pit you came from."

Lucifer's expression changed. He was not smiling anymore just staring at the hunter.

"Sam, you're wrong." He turned on his heel and closed the distance between him and the Winchester. The hunter backed off.

"Don't come any closer." he hissed and tried to push the angel away with one hand on his chest.

"Sam, why do you refuse to listen to me? I mean you no harm. You are very important to me, to be honest." Lucifer laid his own hand on Sam's and smiled half-heartedly.

"I need you, Sam. Everything is up to you! I can wait, but don't let me wait too long. Time is running out!" was everything the angel said, while he kept the Winchesters hand in his own, playing with the fingers.

Sam tried to retrieve his hand but the angel was strong, there was no chance for him to get his hand free.

Lucifer sighed.

"You know, I wonder what Michael and Dean are doing. Wonder, if they actually talk to each other like we do, but I doubt that. You know how big brothers are. Always complicated!" Sam shrugged and could not hide a smile.

"That's their job, I guess. To protect the little ones from harm."

"Until they let you down." Luficer agreed nodding. The hunter sighed. Lucifer certainly knew how to ruin a momentum.

"So what do you think? Was I able to convince you a little tiny bit that I'm not such a bad guy?" the angel asked smiling bright and received a fast 'no' from the hunter.

"Oh man, you're stubborn, Sam. I like that."

"And I'd like if you let go of my hand." Lucifer pulled a face and looked sad, at least he pretended to be hurt.

"Fine. I guess time's up. It was nice to talk to you again, Sam. Let's do this again once in a while. Then I know that you're well and alive. Since Castiel marked you with those sigils I can't find you, too bad, but necessary." he sighed a little lost, his eyes wandering around before returning to meet Sam's gaze.

"It's time for you to go. You need to rest, I know. Have a nice sleep, Sam." The angel said and pressed one hand against the hunter's chest, pushing him backwards.

Sam lost his balance and struggled, trying to get a hold of something, but Lucifer blocked his intention and Sam fell, deep into the darkness underneath his feet.

He yelled, moving to stop his fall somehow.

"Sammy? Sam, wake up!" Dean panicked and tried to wake his sweating and punching brother up. He grabbed him by his shoulders and tried to calm the shaking Winchester so he did not hurt himself.

"Sam!" another yell and a slap in the face did the job. The young hunter ripped his eyes open and looked around frantically, preparing himself to see Lucifer's face again, but all he could see was darkness, woods and his rather scared looking brother who was still leaning over him. As Dean noticed that his brother was finally back to life and to reality he inhaled a long deep breath before he let go of Sam.

"Welcome back Sammy. Please tell me that one of your clowns name is Lucifer, will ya?" he raised an eyebrow and waited for the younger Winchester to fully gain his conscience back. Sam flinched as he heard the name of the creature that haunted his dreams once more.

"Since when do I talk in my sleep?" he asked and tried to stand the daring look of his brother, but failed after a few seconds and turned his gaze towards the nearby woods.

It was still night, but somewhere in the distance he could see a tiny bit of orange which was lingering among the trees.

The weird, thick fog was gone too, but left the air around them damp.

"You don't." was the short reply from his now concerned staring brother. It had been a trap. Sam shook his head and smiled sadly. He fell for it without thinking, now he had to talk even if he did not want to.

Dean was about to remind his brother about keeping secrets, but as he noticed the still distracted look in his eyes he swallowed each insult and waited for him to start his story.

The younger Winchester took in a deep breath and sat up, preparing himself to relive everything that Lucifer had told him. He did not know where to start, but it was obviously the best to simply start from the beginning.

"Actually, it's the same as always Dean. He wants me to say 'yes'."

"What else?" The older Winchester hated to wait and press words out of people especially from his own brother.

"What do you mean 'what else'? He keeps talking to me and tries to convince me. He said he's sorry he can't come and visit me to talk a little longer." Sam shivered slightly as the memory struck him further.

"I don't believe that's all he did. You were fighting the air like he was gonna kill you. So don't talk bullshit and tell me the real thing." Dean buried his fist into the blanket and kept as calm as possible, waiting for his brother to continue.

Sam managed to look up and in the other hunters face staring straight forward before he sighed heavily.

"Lucifer... he keeps pretending that we're, somehow, made for each other. We're alike and know what the other is experiencing." Dean grinned a little and was about to insert a gay joke, but he managed to shut his big mouth and regain his serious face.

"He said he would never lie to me." Sam said with a low voice and his gaze turned to the ground. With a swift move he turned around and jumped from the car, walking a few steps to fill his lungs with more fresh air.

Dean followed his brother with his eyes but remained on top of his Impala.

"So what? He's a better company for ya, then? Better than your own brother?" He was overreacting, somewhere deep inside he knew he was, but he could not care less right now.

"I didn't say that. He just pretends to always speak the truth and he cares about me, but that's just because I'm his vessel. He needs me and without me he's nothing. I'm not stupid Dean, I know what he's trying, but he haunts my dreams! It's like, every time I close my eyes he's there, waiting for me to fall asleep and to walk up to me from behind! I won't say 'yes' I never will but..."

Sam was not able to continue.

He had to take another deep breath and turned towards his brother.

"I'm not scared. I'm not. As you said, dreams can't hurt you, but it felt so real this time. It's like I can feel him getting closer each time and I don't want that to happen." He touched his own hand with his own where Lucifer had held him before.

"It's like I can still feel him." he added silently and dropped his head to the ground. Dean nodded slightly, closed his eyes and waited, but nothing else seemed to leek from his brothers lips.

"Fine. Lucifer is ruining your sleep. That's what you're saying. Well if that's the case, we have to make him stop so you can rest properly from now on." he combined and moved himself down from his car's hood.

"Dean... I don't think there's any kind of thing we could do to prevent him from visiting me. I can't stop myself from dreaming and neither can you." Sam crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his brother in disbelieve.

He had been close to a few tears, but now everything seemed fine again, his big brother had a plan. He would save the day!

At least his older brother seemed to believe that.

"Maybe we can't but I know one pretty angel that will do the job!" Dean closed his eyes and was about to pray to Castiel to get his ass to them when he felt Sam's hand on his back. "Dude, you can't be serious! The last time we've seen him he seemed pissed as hell. I doubt he has recovered from those fights yet. He might be an angel, but he's not superman Dean." He tried to convince his brother to just let it go for now, but the older Winchester just shook his head.

"Castiel? I know you can hear me, as always. Would you please come down from whatever tree you're sitting on? We've got some serious problems over here." Dean slowly opened his eyes and took a look around, perking his ears for any sound of wings. Nothing happened.

"Dean, he won't come. Just let us get back on the road. I'll deal with Lucifer myself." Sam clapped his brothers back a few times and turned around.

"Cas! C'mon! I know you hear me! Stop ignoring us and just move your feathery...!" He could not finish his sentence as he felt a heavy wind blew towards them, throwing tiny stones and pieces of dirt into their eyes, making the brothers shield their eyes.

Sam was the first who noticed the angel standing a few feet away from them and his eyes widened a bit at the sight of him.

He had been right, Castiel was in a bad condition but he had not imagined seeing him in such an awful state.

Dean rubbed his eyes and tried to get rid of the dirt that had made its way inside before he finally looked up and towards the newly appeared angel.

"Took your time." he said in the same motion before he could get a closer look over the angel's current situation.

He shut his mouth and gulped.

"What...?" Castiel slowly stepped one foot forward and stopped. He wanted to continue his sentence, but seemed to have problems to focus properly.

Why he even followed the call of the hunter he could not understand himself. As he regained his balance he took a short breath and started again.

"What do you want?" Dean observed the angel for a while. The freshly bought clothes were ruined again. Holes were ripped into it which revealed broken skin, bleeding and slightly glowing wounds. His coat did not look clean either and was once again sprinkled with blood and all kind dirt.

If the hunter would not know that angels are unable to perspire he could have sworn that this very angel's forehead was slightly gleaming with sweat, but he had to be mistaken. Before the silence around them could grow any more awkward Dean finally opened his mouth.

"Well, to give ya a summary. The devil invades Sam's personal space, in his dreams." He retrieved and annoyed look by his brother, but continued anyways.

"So, if you could just... dunno mark his brain with sigils or some kind of defense so Lucifer will leave him alone in his sleep, that would do."

He threw a hopeful smile towards the angel and waited for him to start doing something, but, instead, Castiel stayed put, unmoving and just staring at the two brothers.

After what seemed another eternity the angel finally sighed and dropped his head.

"I'm afraid I cannot do this Dean."

"Why not? You can keep him from finding us so why can't you just keep him away from his dreams?" Dean spoke up, a little too loud for Sam's taste.

"Because..." Castiel paused again, beginning to sway. The angel inhaled and started again. "Because I don't know how to keep Lucifer out of Sam's dreams." Dean felt anger boiling inside.

"The hell? Do you know anything lately? Geez, can't you just put a barrier or something around Sam. You already did it with our ribs, so what's the problem?" he snarled displeased. The angel sighed defeated.

"Even if I could, what I honestly cannot, Lucifer is much stronger than I am." He looked to Sam, the blue eyes darker than usually, almost hollow.

The younger Winchester flinched. He did not like how Castiel looked like. Their friend was done, exhausted, and weak.

"Dean. C'mon, stop it. There is no need for doing this." he said and earned an angry glare from his older brother.

"Oh, there is need for this. I'm not going to let the friggin' devil stalk my brother's dreams and assault him or whatever he did. I'm really not letting this to continue!" The furious hunter turned his attention back to the dangerously swaying angel a few feet away.

Sam in turn, could not help but wonder if Dean had noticed the angel's condition.

"You're gonna do some brainstorming, dude, or I'll swear I'll kick your ass. Find a way to help Sam. What else do you have to do as a friggin' angel if not being there to help people around?" he barked.

Apparently, he had not noticed. Sam sighed.

"Dean." he said, but was cut off by his brother's hand indicating him to shut up.

"I told you, Dean. I am not able to follow your request."

"Why did you come then?" the hunter snapped through his teeth.

"Because you called me."

Silence.

For a second, Dean stared at the angel, bewildered.

"That's it, I get it. And why didn't you show up earlier, when I was fucking calling for you?" Sam frowned when he put the pieces together. That was what this was all about.

"Didn't you hear me, back then?"

"I did hear you." was the calm and patient reply, even though the angel's voice was filled with pain. The younger hunter tried to interfere once more by grabbing his brother's sleeve.

"Stop it, Dean. Dude, you're overacting." The older Winchester ripped himself free and moved a little closer to the angel.

"Then why the fuckin' hell did you not show up?"

"I did not know where you were until Chuck called and informed me about Zachariah." A loud escaped Dean's throat.

"Oh right, the great savior, of course, sorry, I forgot about that! You're only showing up when it's almost over." he said sarcastically, laughing desperately.

"Dean! Stop it" Sam reached out for his brother and tried to calm him, but the older Winchester just continued to scream at the angel and let the rage overtake his brain.

"You know what Cas? We're better off alone without you. We didn't need your help years ago and we can manage everything without your feathery ass walking around being useless! Go back to heaven! Maybe they open the door again if you behave like a good little angel again!"

"Dean!" Sam grabbed his shoulder tightly and shook him.

"That's enough you don't know what you're saying! Calm down dude!" This time it seemed to work and the rage in Dean's face vanished slightly when realization took over.

Heavily breathing he tried to remember what kind of bullshit he just had said to his friend who was obviously in the worst state ever and could barely stand upright.

Dean opened his mouth again to somehow take back all of his words at once but he could not come up with a good excuse for his stupid behavior.

Somewhere deep inside him he was still a child sometimes, yelling if he did not get what he wanted. He kept staring at the angel who had not moved an inch from the spot where he was standing.

Castiel remained silent and just stared at the eldest Winchester, but his face was not the same anymore.

When Dean had started to talk the emotionless, blank stare broke slightly and changed from anger to disbelieve, to distress and finally he dropped his head refusing to look up at the hunter again. Before he could do anything, his weak state caused by the earlier fight and the blood loss of his vessel, he crumbled down on his knees.

Like someone had turned the switch Dean's legs began to move on his own and he ran the short distance towards the broken angel. He crouched down and reached out towards the other man, wanting to support him from collapsing completely. Castiel's hand shot forward and hindered Dean to grab his shoulder.

"Don't...!" he weakly said before his arm fell to the ground again and he was about to fall forward.

The hunter ignored the angels order and tightly grabbed both his shoulders to keep him straight up. His action was rewarded by an angry but weak stare of the man in front of him but he would ignore it for now.

"You're not useless trash Cas. You're a part of this and I'm pretty sure you'd be missed if you were gone." Words were dropping from his mouth, the wrong ones but he could not get himself to the point to say what he really wanted.

Castiel did not react besides that he avoided Dean's eyes and just stared somewhere else, which happened to be the other Winchester who slowly moved closer, but did not dare to get too close to them.

"I'm sorry Sam." he nearly whispered and tried to look up enough to meet his gaze, like he ignored whatever Dean was saying. While the older hunter tried to hold him still he staggered a bit as if he would collapse to the ground in the next few seconds.

Sam was not sure if he had to reply to Castiel's apology since he did not even understand what he was sorry for, but his brain managed something.

"It's not your fault Cas. Everything will be fine." he lied to the angel and even though he knew it was a lie, it felt like the right thing to say.

"I'm kinda dumb when it comes to apologies ya know?" Dean tried to get Castiel's attention back but seemed to fail since the angel did not turn his head at all.

_Nobody wants you to leave, we, I want you to stay here even though this planet is going to burn eventually!_ Dean shook his head and narrowed his eyes, focusing on the angel.

"Cas."

Castiel remained silent, but finally looked up at Dean again. The hunter was somewhat glad to see the anger in the angels eyes leave, but was not pleased by the seemingly lost expression that took its place.

"I didn't mean anything of that bullshit and I don't agree with Zachariah. Those guys are a bunch of douche bags anyway." Dean tried to take back as much as he could even though he knew what was said could not be undone.

"No. You're right. It was my decision to rebel against heaven. It was my choice and this is what I reduced myself to."

Dean opened his mouth, but closed it again when no words left his throat. _Shit_, he thought. Now, with his mind clear, he realized what he had actually said to Castiel. Biting his lower lip he stared at the angel's face.

He noticed that those bright blue eyes had lost a lot of its glow. Castiel gasped and writhed in pain, spitting out blood. That was the cue for the older Winchester to start moving. He tried to help Castiel stand but the angel refused, trying to push him away.

The blazing rage from just moments ago had disappeared completely, replaced by deep concern.

"Cas, let me help you."

"Don't, don't touch me."

Every attempt to push the hunter away failed completely. When Sam helped to lift Castiel up there was nothing the angel could do about it anymore. The hunters laid him onto the hood of the car, receiving a painful moan.

Dean turned around.

"What're we gonna do, Sam?"

"I don't know. He can heal himself, but this will take a while. Until then..." he trailed off. The older brother looked back at the angel.

_This can't be. I can't..._

Sam punched him hard against the shoulder to get him back to reality.

"Dean, dammit. Not the right time to zone out, man." he whispered angry, opening the trunk. Dean could tell that his brother was searching for something and shortly after, he apparently found it. The younger hunter handed him a bottle of holy water and a towel.

"That's the only water we've got. Clean his wounds and stop being sorry for yourself! When you're done, we're gonna leave." Sam demanded and returned to pick up the blankets and get ready for the road again.

Dean hurried over to Castiel. He was surprised to see the angel conscious. The hunter stepped closer and put away the bottle and towel.

He moved his hands over the button-down, pushing the suit jacked and trench coat aside.

"Dean."

He felt a shivering hand on his own and looked up.

"Don't move. I'll clean your wounds. I'm not gonna hurt you." _Again_, he finished his sentence in his head. Castiel kept his hand for another moment on the other, before he slowly let go and nodded.

The hunter gave him an assuring smile before he started to undo the buttons. He carefully slid the fabric to the angel's sides and inhaled the air with a sharp gasp. His torso was covered with deep cuts. Some already had started to heal. Others were still leaking light out of it.

"Shit, Cas. I'm..." The hunter trailed off and rubbed his face with one hand before he started to open the bottle of holy water and wet the towel. The angel moaned again painfully when the cold fabric touched his skin.

His chest rose and fell unsteadily. When Castiel started to cough, Dean turned his head slightly to make it easier for the angel to spit out the blood.

He could feel how tense the body was, he even shivered slightly.

"Easy, Cas. Easy. It's gonna get better." Dean started to move the towel over the torn parts of the angel's chest. Every now and then Castiel flinched under the unfamiliar touch and the hunter stopped his movement.

"Hang in there. Just a little longer, Cas." he whispered and started to clean the edges of the most severe wound.

Castiel escaped a long low moan and the Winchesters eyes widened. He froze immediately. Flashes of his last dream forced their way back into his memory. Castiel tied up on the wall, all bleeding and moaning painfully.

_Dean_, he remembered the shaking voice of the angel, the heavy breathing, everything. Swallowing hard, Dean's gaze wandered to the angel's half lid eyes. The angel was watching him and he had noticed the distraction. He moved one hand to the hunters and squeezed it. "Dean!" The older Winchester blinked a few times and returned to reality.

"What? Ah, don't move. Let me finish!" he said and started to clean the wound again. He was avoiding the angel's eyes on purpose, trying to stop those memories from coming back. He did not need that right now.

His head already felt like being crushed by a bulldozer.

When he was done he called for Sam's help to carry Castiel onto the backseat of the Impala, not bothering to hide the wound beneath the fabric of the suit. They had to get out of here, finding a safe place for Castiel and them to rest.

He deserved at least that much.

Ignoring his alcohol levels and his complaining brother, Dean closed the door and revved the engine. Before Sam could even fasten his belt his brother sped up, drove back onto the street and went for the next highway.

Dean was distracted. He tried to concentrate on the road before them, but every now and then, he glanced into the rearview mirror and watched the figure on the backseat wobble back and forth caused by the vibrations of his beloved Impala.

Castiel had turned his back towards them and Dean could not tell if he was awake, sleeping or just ignoring them.

"Dean!"

Sam yelled at him when another car was approaching them and started to beep with a high pitched sound. The older hunter grabbed the steering wheel, turned and made a sharp curve before he stopped the car.

"Dude, what's wrong with you? Let's switch places, you can't drive like that!" Sam continued rather concerned than angry. Whatever was going on in his brothers head was obviously bothering him more than usual. Dean took in a deep breath, started the car again and continued to drive.

"I'm fine Sammy. Everything is just glorious!" he said, his voice filled with bitterness.

"You nearly got us killed in a car crash! I don't think 'fine' is the right word here! Let me drive, okay?"

The young Winchester was about to interfere his brother's driving and stop the car, but his older brother raised one arm to stop him.

"Look." he simply said and pointed towards a road sign which showed a bed and dishes. Sam followed his brother's view, noticed the motel sign close-by and nodded understanding. They could stay in a motel for the rest of the night and possibly continue their way to Bobby tomorrow.

It had been a while since they had seen the old guy and just talking via phone was not the same. Dean also needed to check if the damn demon was still lurking around his friend and if Bobby did not do anything stupid like shooting him too much. Crowley was way too unpredictable to mess with him for too long.

Eventually they could spot the driveway for the motel which had a huge information sign in front to the gate.

The plate stated 'Jackson Inn' and without any hesitation Dean lead the car onto the huge parking area which appeared rather empty.

His stomach started to rumble.

The last empty motel on their way was filled with flesh devouring bastards, but this time he swore to himself he would kill each and everything that got in his way and a proper bed for his weak bleeding angel.

Right when he put the Impala on hold Sam jumped out of the car and spurted towards the entrance of the motel to book a room for them, leaving his brother and the injured angel behind for a few minutes.

Dean could feel his own tension increase by every second that passed and he started to drum a little melody on the steering wheel, avoiding to look onto the backseat and keep himself busy. It did not work.

Finally the younger Winchester appeared in the entrance again and seemed rather displeased as he continued to hurry over to the car.

"Hell, you must have picked the most expensive motel in this state Dean! We're lucky that they allowed me to pay tomorrow before we check out." Sam said while he showed his brother the way to their room number.

Dean just shrugged it off and drove his baby along the several buildings which nearly looked like they were supposed to form a small village.

He turned into the parking lot in front of their room slash very small building and got off. Immediately, he was at the back, trying to get Castiel out of the car. Carefully, he grabbed him at the sleeve and waited for a response.

"Cas. Hey, C'mon, just a little more." he whispered and the angel started to move slightly. Dean helped him get off the Impala, while Sam had opened the door to their room. One hand pulling over his shoulder, Dean carried the weak angel over. In the room he moved Castiel to one of the beds. He sat him down and took off the coat.

"Lay down. You'll need to rest." Dean said while pressing the angel down, using little to no force.

"That's it, good." Dean gave his brother one of those 'what am I gonna do' looks receiving a not very helpful shrug. When Castiel inhaled the air sharply the hunter's attention returned to him.

"You need to hang on, just a little longer, Cas. You hear me? By Sunrise everything will be okay." The hunter could hear his own voice laugh in his head.

_Of course, Winchester. Everything will be splendid. He certainly will forget what you said to him, sure. Keep on dreaming._ Dean bit on his lower lip while he stared down at the angels face. He was sweating, his lids were half down, but the blue eyes were meeting his gaze and his breaths were short and fast.

"Cas, I'm..." The Winchester stopped. Why was it so damn hard to apologize?

Dean stood up and occupied the bath room. Half an hour later he lay on the couch, not talking to either his brother or the angel.

Now, Sam was asleep already but Castiel, even though he did not move, was still awake.

The older hunter tried to find a comfortable position on the way too short couch, but he managed it somehow by placing an arm under his head.

His eyes wandered to the left once more only to see the shadowy figure of Castiel who was lying on his back and possibly asleep or just resting, he could not tell.

Dean waited a few more seconds, but it seemed the angel did not notice his stare. Finally he closed his eyes and slowly drifted away while his thoughts were still circling around a certain not so holy being. Maybe everything would be fine when he woke up later, hopefully.

He remembered that smell.

_No, not again, please no_, his brain started to work but he wished he could stay inside his dull, sleepy state. Everything came back again. The memories, the visions, the screams. It was not real, but every inch of his body proved him wrong.

Pressing his eyes shut, he refused to see whatever was around him or whoever was with him. He was not alone in this place, he wished to god or even devil to be alone but he was not. Listening to the soft steps approaching him he was unable suppress a moan.

The tension was not bearable. The pain was bearable, but not the wait for the metal to touch and bruise his skin.

Still pressing his eyes shut he felt them burning. They were dried, no tears possible to flow, nothing to ease the pain, not even a little release.

No mercy.

"I know you're awake, your mind is spinning. That's great. We can continue now or let's say, start over." That voice. The times when he screamed to hear that voice was over. Now he only screamed for the voice to leave him alone and to stop doing all these things to him.

He had once thought hell was the worst experience he ever lived through, but this was nothing compared to the torture down here.

This was mental. This was personal and it was the one being he never thought would ever torture him like that. His friend, his guardian! When the sound of steps finally vanished he could feel the presence of his tormenter right in front of him.

_Don't open your eyes, just go away!_ Dean was begging himself in his own thoughts, but he knew it was hopeless.

He would not be able to resist looking into those eyes. Merciless, but full of emotions! He had never seen them so blue and filled with life as the times they spent together in here. Wherever it was, earth, heaven or hell.

He did not care, he was here! All day! He never left out a single minute to make him remember who he was.

"It's time, Dean."

"No."

His eyelids started moving slowly. A blurry vision of the man, his friend, standing close to him, almost touching his bare chest.

Dean looked down on himself, expecting to see his insides and bones again, but it seemed everything was fine beside the fact that he was violently bound with razor wires to a wooden cross. It seemed odd enough that he was not dying because of blood loss yet, but this was not his choice, this was not his decision to die.

Castiel was the one in charge.

Dean knew that, he learned that lesson over the past few weeks.

Or has it been month?

Years?

He did not know, maybe, it just had been seconds but he could not remember.

All he remembered was the smell of that place and those blue eyes.

"No? Yes, Dean. I'm sorry for letting you wait. I would have come earlier, but you wouldn't let me in. But finally, we can go further from where we started. Don't you worry, everything will be just as you wish." That smile. It was cheerful, nearly playful and filled with promises, but it was a lie.

A grinned lie into his face!

Dean could not concentrate. His ears were busy to figure out the soft frizzling sound right next to him. Luckily, his brain did not need to find an answer to his questioning ears on his own.

His skin delivered the answer all by itself. It was cold, numb and suddenly it felt hot, too hot to handle, but his body could not move. Dean's mouth shot open as his eyes did, but only a dry wheeze left him.

Something was pressed against his skin, whatever it was it was not large enough to cover a big area. A familiar smell surrounded him. The angel or whatever it was Castiel represented, moved the tool over the hunter's skin slowly.

Lingering and tracing on his chosen lines of the humans body. A soft sigh escaped him as he could not seek the song from Dean he appreciated so much.

Right above the hunters hip bone, he pressed the long hot burning metal onto Deans skin again, this time pressing it harder and harder each second, digging and burning into deeper layers.

_Needles? _

Dean could hear a sickening sound escaping himself, a low gurgling gasp when he felt his stomach unable to handle the pain anymore.

Castiel turned and twisted the hot metal, digging the sharp needles into the flesh, ripping tissues apart and slowly, he reached in deeper.

Hot metal was burning and tearing him open at the same time. Clenching his teeth together and closing his eyes, Dean wished the pain away, wished it to finally stop and release him. The burning pain did not ease nor did it vanish, it just kept roasting him partially alive.

The hunter started to struggle, his brain screaming to him that he needed to move away, but the result caused him even more pain.

Each move made Castiel press the metal a few inches deeper into him and each move made the wires dig deeper into his flesh. Dean wished to pass out, just to leave right now, but something seemed to prevent him from falling unconscious, he knew it was the angels doing. He would never let him leave.

"Dean, I haven't even started yet. I haven't even told you the reason yet. Don't you want to know? You always ask people the why, but don't you ask it yourself? Why Dean, why am I doing this to you? Why would you want me to do this to you?"

The burning stopped, at least he could see that the metal was removed, but his nerves did not seem to care for the loss and still kept screaming in vain.

Breathing, he had to concentrate on his breathing even though those blue eyes were staring at him, nearly like the angel he knew, Castiel, his friend.

He was waiting, waiting for him to answer.

Dean's brain was not working properly anymore. Otherwise he could not explain the sudden change in his torturers expression.

The madness was gone, replaced by mercy and curiosity.

He was dreaming, it was not real. Castiel would not stop pressing things into him, cutting him open and decorate the room with his intestines. It did not make any sense.

"You really need to punish yourself like this, do you Dean? Do you feel better now? Do you remember the reason?" Dean wanted to yell at him, reach out and smash his bloody fists into that face, but instead he kept staring at the angel in disbelieve.

His body was trembling from shock and blood loss. He wanted to answer but he was unable find any words that would fit Castiel's request, so the hunter just dropped his head and closed his eyes.

He did not know why.

Not yet.

"Wake up, Dean. Wake up."

Dean's eyes shot open and he placed one hand onto his forehead immediately. His head was spinning and with panic in his eyes he moved his other hand down to trace the place where the angel had burned him, but as supposed there was nothing to be felt. Just his unbroken skin under his shirt!

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes again.

Why did he dream so much lately, especially, why was he dreaming about him and the angel. The fact that it was always a painful experience when both of them were trapped in hell was way more concerning to him.

_Just Dreams, nothing more, they don't mean anything_, he kept telling himself and felt how his mind traveled towards the angel which shared the room with the hunters.

He could not help it but turn his head to the left and observed the angels current condition. A soft white light was shining through the blinds and brightened the room a bit making it easier for the Winchester to see what Castiel was doing.

His heart jumped a beat when the nearly silvery light lit up two blue orbs staring straight towards him.

Dean tried to catch his breath, but could not stop his heart from beating faster. The angel had placed his head on top of the soft looking pillow, the blanket pulled up to his neck and he was staring at him with his inscrutable expression.

Right when he thought he could not stand that look any longer, heaven or possibly god must have noticed and covered the moon outside with a few clouds taking the bit of light with them.

Those blue eyes were gone for now, but the Winchester could still feel them. Staring and observing him. Dean took in a long breath before he managed to think clear again. When a thought struck his mind he furrowed his brows and sat up on his elbow.

"Cas? Did you just... call me?" he asked with a low voice hoping to not disturb his already deep asleep baby brother. Silence fell over them, but he decided to not wait for whatever the answer might be from the angel.

"Never mind." he lay down onto the couch again and stared up towards the dark ceiling.

_How stupid can you be to even think about something like that?_ Dean smiled sadly to himself at this thought.

Outside, the clouds gave way to the moon and stars again and they started to send their bright light down again.

Suddenly, the silence was disturbed by a small movement and his ears recognized a rustling sound. Dean turned his attention back to the angel and held his breath.

Castiel was not looking at him but that was not necessary, he had moved backwards and was pulling the blanket up.

If the hunter did not see it with his own eyes he would have sworn that the angel was inviting him to come over and join him on the bed, instead of sleeping on the damn hard, uncomfortable couch. Dean hesitated, his brain still tried to work, but for now it was useless anyway.

Castiel slowly turned his gaze up again and Dean, if he was not imagining it, recognized that a bit of the glow he always saw in those blue eyes had returned. His thoughts were cut off by that little action of the angel and before he knew, he stood up from the couch.

Slowly, he closed the little space between him and the bed and grabbed the blanket with his left hand, pulling it up a bit more so he could slip under it.

_Oh yes, this bed is worth its money_, he thought and a pleased sigh escaped his lips as his back touched the mattress.

Dean pulled the blanket over him properly and turned around to leave enough room for both of them, he surely did not want an angel falling out of bed and lying on the ground right now even though his head told him it would be somewhat funny.

He smiled a bit and before he even realized he completely forgot about his painful experience in his dream and concentrated on the already warmed bed which the angel was sharing with him. As he tried to invade a bit more of space for himself, Castiel shifted a few inches away from him.

"Don't... too close." the angel mumbled, even swallowing a few words and moved even further away nearly reaching the end of the bed, but at least he did not turn his back towards him anymore. Dean furrowed his brows.

He could not understand what was wrong with Castiel. All those times they had spent like this, the angel always wanted to be a little closer and closer, but now he wanted distance. The Winchesters brain tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together but his brain failed him.

He just could not figure it out, at least not now, but he would not wait for his brain to do all the work.

Dean sighed in defeat. He simply was not able to think about anything or do anything. He needed sleep. He knew his head would kill him when he woke up again. He was fine with it, because he deserved it. But still, something was wrong.

Missing!

Instantly, he knew what it was. Slowly, Dean reached out and placed his hand between himself and Castiel.

He had to wait. Tired he closed his eyes, not noticing the angel's hand moving towards his own, slightly touching the edge.

He was deep down in his thoughts, sleeping but not dreaming this time.

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><p><strong>Thanks to lovetryan , MewSpock, idjits and everyone else who keeps reading and reviewing.<br>Favs and Alerts are welcome as well ;)**

**See ya next Chap!**

**Fooling with fools, an april special with a special guest star!**


	12. Fooling with fools

**Updated Version**

**April 1st special! Extra long and extra...you will see.**

**Thanks for alerting everyone. Each fav and alert and review is appreciated!**

Anyway, long delay but trust us, it was worth the wait...at least we hope so...

Enjoy

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><p><strong>12. Fooling with fools<strong>

You've got to be kidding me

The next morning arrived with warm lights shining through the window and taking both men on the bed into a warm embrace.

Still asleep, Dean shifted a little and rolled over. He bumped into something quite comfortable. It was soft and warm. Slowly returning to the living he could feel a horrible beating in his head.

He already knew this headache would last the whole day.

When the warmth disappeared the hunter sighed and rolled further to get the nice and comfortable feeling back.

To ensure he did not lose the warmth again Dean wrapped his arm around the source, pulling it closer to him. Suddenly, the source of warmth started to move, tensing under the touch.

Dean growled threateningly. He disliked the behavior of his warm source, pulling it closer, eagerly.

"Dean?" The hunter growled again, not willing to open his eyes and not willing to give up this comfort.

"Dean, dude. Wake up!" the voice said again. Dean recognized it as Sam's.

"Naaah..." the older Winchester hissed and moved closer to the warmth, as if possible. He could hear his brother burst out laughing and another sound he could not quite allocate. It was somehow a mix of a growl, a purr and a cry.

The voice was low. He had not heard anything like this before but this did not mean he disliked it.

"Dean, you better let go, man!" Sam said, still laughing. He grabbed the eldest Winchesters shoulder and shook it.

"Go'way..." he snored displeased. Shifting again, he earned another sound, a low moan.

Dean's eyes shot open. This sound was something he definitely remembered.

He knew this voice and he knew who it belonged to. The hunter's Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed.

He lifted his head and found himself looking into bright blue eyes. Then, everything happened faster than Dean actually wished for.

He squeaked in surprise, let go of the angel's body, backed off and fell off the bed, rolling over the carpet against the couch. Now, his legs were somewhere above his head on the pillows, his arms lingered in front of him and his back pushed uncomfortably against the wooden post.

His baby brother could not stop laughing, holding his belly he already had tears in his eyes. Castiel, on the other hand, was looking down at the hunter, head tilted and frowning.

His eyes were showing concern and confusion at the same time. Dean noticed that the angel was back at his normal pattern of behavior.

The hunter groaned as he tried to get back on his feet, what made Sam laugh even more so he had to sit down on the edge of the bed.

"Sammy, stop laughing so loud. I've got a damn bomb as a head which's gonna explode every second if ya don't shut up." Dean ran one hand over his face.

Now, he was fully awake.

The first thing he looked at was the angel who was still staring at him. From where he was standing it looked like the wounds had healed. Dean's eyes widened when he realized that he had cuddled with the bare chest of the angel.

_The warmth... oh shit, Winchester you're screwed._

His mouth opened a little, but he did not know what to say. He simply turned on his heel and hurried into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

Sam looked surprised at Castiel and then shrugged. His brother was caught snuggling with an angel of the Lord, again.

This was too much fun. And the day jut had started.

An awkward silence fell over the two men as they waited for something to happen. Only the heavy breathing of the angel was audible. After a few minutes the sound of the shower was emerging from the bathroom.

Dean would not come out again, soon. The younger hunter sighed and glanced at the still blanket covered angel who had managed to sit up and had his eyes fixed on the door, where the other hunter had disappeared behind and was still panting like he had just been running a marathon.

Something seemed wrong with Castiel, but at least he did not look upset anymore, like he totally forgot what the older brother had said hours ago.

"Hey Cas." Sam started, clapped his hands together and rubbed them a bit before he turned his full attention towards the angel.

"I know it's none of my business, but since you two, somehow 'spend' a lot of time together lately, I wonder if you might tell me what's goin' on. You two seem to have a few not discussed 'issues'. Dean doesn't talk about it, but I guess you would love to talk, right?" he said cheerfully, hoping to make use of the angel's good mood.

He was so unbelievable curious!

A few moments passed, but Castiel still stared towards the bathroom door, busy with breathing as his chest rose and fell steadily.

Sam was about to raise his voice again when the angel finally turned his head towards the younger Winchester and stared at him instead, not saying anything at all.

His fingers were busy fumbling with the blanket, loosening his grip and tightening it right away again.

"I guess that's a 'no' from you too, huh?" The hunter crossed his arms over his chest and watched as the angel slowly dropped his head, staring at the very interesting carpet where Dean had smashed himself on minutes ago.

Sam stood up from the bed with a soft 'fine then' and started to walk around when the voice of the angel was hearable and he froze in his movements.

"I don't think I can answer that, Sam." Castiel said. Noticing his open top he stared at the evil loose buttons on it.

He disliked closing all of them, it wasted so much time. No wonder he never tried to open them in the first place.

The Winchester turned towards the other man and furrowed his brows.

"Well, if you don't know and Dean doesn't want to talk about it, I can't help him and I wish I could since both of you seem to have trouble talking to each other." He grinned a bit before he continued.

"Staring can be nice, but eyes can't tell everything. Maybe you just want to punch each other's face, but I don't see how sleeping together fits that profile."

"I do not see what you want to tell me, Sam." Castiel started to close a few of the buttons, unsure if he should leave a few open just to spare some time.

"I wanted to say if you want something from Dean, tell him. He is a stupid jerk sometimes. Well, most of the time, but maybe you two need some... time to talk. That's all I'm sayin'. But since you say you don't know what you're after..." Sam made a pause and noticed how the angel lowered his eyes to the ground again.

A soft smile made its way up to the Winchesters cheeks as he continued.

"You can only try to figure it out together. He's my brother and if you need some time for yourselves, fine."

"Thank you Sam for your concern, but I assure you there is no such thing necessary." the angel replied with a rather strong voice which made the Winchester frown a bit. Sam disliked that part of the angel's character, but it was not as bad as his averting behavior a day ago.

He nodded slightly and turned to care for his own business again. When someone did not like his advice it could not be helped.

"Just one more thing!" Sam turned around again and captured Castiel's eyes with his own. "Since everyone Dean is caring about seems to... well, die a lot from time to time, I beg you to not do anything stupid that ends up with you being killed, okay? I know my brother and he doesn't show it, but every time the people around him die, he keeps telling himself it's his fault. He won't be able to take it if another person... close to him dies. I can't help him since he won't listen to me, but maybe… so, watch out for yourself, 'kay? For his sake!" With these words Sam broke the eye contact with Castiel, walked towards his bag, retrieving his computer and placing himself on his bed.

The following ten minutes were covered in silence. The only thing the man and the angel could hear was the shower.

Every now and then Sam glanced over to Castiel, who still seemed a little shaken by what had happened. It took a lot of the angel to regain control over his breath. The best distraction for him now was the closing of his buttons.

Suddenly, Sam's head turned toward the bathroom door. The noises coming out of it indicated that his brother was not under the shower anymore but in front of the toilet, emptying his stomach. He could not help it but smile.

His brother had had a bloody bad night for sure, even though he was cuddling with the angel. The little voice in Sam's head even said 'it deserves him right' but he could simply shake his head about it.

Sam rose to his feet and walked over to his duffle bag. He frowned.

"Dude, I'm gonna get you some Aspirin and food for me, I'm hungry." he said loud, so Dean could hear it. Grabbing his wallet he looked at the angel, still fumbling with his buttons. How difficult could that task be?

"Cas, I'm getting some meds for Dean and some food. You need anything?" Castiel looked up.

"No, I don't need anything. Thank you, Sam." And his attention was back at the buttons. The young hunter smiled.

_Angels might be powerful but they are certainly a little naive_, he thought and left the room.

It took Dean another ten minutes to get out of the bathroom. Empty stomach, clean with fresh brushed teeth, his headache seemed to be pleased and intended to leave him soon. That was how he liked it.

The eldest Winchester stepped out of the steaming little bath into the colder main area of their room. Ignoring the angel for a moment, he walked over to his bag and grabbed some clothes to wear.

"Hey Cas. You know how long Sammy wanted to be gone?" Dean turned around just to see the angel staring at him.

Again!

Narrowing his eyes he stepped a little closer.

"You alright?" Castiel nodded sheepishly when he answered in his calm and monotonous voice.

"He did not say anything about his return." The other question he clearly left unanswered. Dean frowned. There was something going on with the angel and he was determined to find out!

_Perhaps, it's because he's still angry?_

The hunter sat down on the bed in front of the angel and grabbed his shoulder. He still had not made it to apologize. He certainly had to make up for it and this was the best moment.

"Uhm, Cas... I'm... you sure you're alright? You're trembling." Dean was cut off from his attempt to apologize and wanted to remove his hand from the shoulder, but suddenly, Castiel's hand was on his, gripping him tight, not allowing him to withdraw.

The hunter could feel the angel's eyes resting on him, but he could do nothing but stare at the two hands entwined with each other.

When the hand started moving down to Castiel's chest Dean simply followed the motion with his eyes. A shiver ran down his spine when two fingers touched the white skin.

It was different to his dreams, Dean could tell.

The skin was softer than he had imagined. Finer. It was like an electric shock which was running through his fingers into his body and then to his brain, taking some seconds until the hunter noticed his increased heartbeat.

The short memory of the angel sitting on top of him flashed through his head and panic started to boil up.

Especially because he was wearing nothing but a towel right now! Dean blinked a few times and cleared his throat to calm himself down.

Then, he noticed the few open buttons and finally, it clicked in his head. Dean smiled. Partially because he felt stupid, partially because it looked kind of funny.

The hunter put down his clothes and started to close the remaining buttons at once, feeling his panic subside.

Castiel stared at the hunter while his quick fingers touched his skin every time they closed a button and moved on to the next.

It was indeed a very pleasant feeling, he had to admit. Gripping the sheets tightly, the angel released the air he was not even aware of holding, when green eyes looked up to meet his gaze. Just a few seconds passed before Castiel closed the gap between himself and the hunter, touching the lips with his own.

The very moment Dean felt the other man's lips he froze. Unable to move he stared back into the blazing blue eyes.

Dean felt like he was going to burn in those flames. He did not even notice the knocking on the door and this very door opening itself revealing Sam, who entered the room, releasing a surprised yell.

That was the moment when Dean snapped out of his paralysis, backing off. The hunter was not able to do much but to stare at the angel who seemed to be fighting with himself the way he grabbed the sheets underneath him.

"Seriously guys, can't you friggin' lock the door before you start making out? Honestly, I'm not that keen to walk into you two every time!" Sam closed the door behind him and placed the purchases on his bed when he froze in his motion as Castiel's head shot around.

Staring at the younger hunter furiously!

Sam threw up his hands. The angel's gaze really freaked him out.

"Uhm, if you want to continue I can get another room?"

"Dude, does he look like he wants to continue?" Dean snapped backed. He was at least as furious as the angel, but for a different reason.

Heavy panting, Castiel stared at the older hunter again. He was everything but the patient and calm angel with the stoic and sometimes confused expression.

Dean could practically feel all those feelings radiating from the other man in front of him and his anger vanished. There was seriously something wrong with his angel.

_No, you didn't just think 'your' angel_, he shook his head slightly and concentrated again.

He assumed that Castiel not even noticed the flow of emotions crossing his face.

Dean cleared his throat.

"Hey Cas. I really think you should... calm down a bit." He put on a weak smile, but made matters only worse as it seemed.

Castiel gripped the sheets that tight that he tore them apart. "Woho, dude, calm down. Seriously. That's not helpin'." Dean jumped off the bed. Arms stretched out in front of him like trying to tame a dog.

"C'mon Cas, calm down." He moved closer to the bed.

"I am no animal which requires taming, Dean." The angel growled dark, regaining control of himself. "Cas you..." Dean was cut off when Castiel vanished with a fluttering sound of his wings. The brothers exchanged a confused look.

Sam frowned.

"What was that?" "This friggin' angel." the older hunter snarled, falling back onto the bed, picking up his clothes again.

He felt really, seriously stupid. And embarrassed! He quickly jumped into the pair of boxers and denim. The hunter did not need to know how it must have looked like to his brother. Anyway, where was his shirt?

"Dean? Is there somethin' I should know? I mean. Looked pretty obvious what you were doin' but..." Sam trailed off, not receiving anything from his brother. Dean had found his shirt and put it over before lying down again.

Now, he was simply lying there, inhaling the remaining scent and wondering what was going on.

He rolled on his back and stared at the ceiling.

His mind was whirling around some angel, which was currently walking around without his tan trench coat, who always looked like he had just gotten out of the bed. Something in the hunter's stomach curled up.

Castiel's behavior was creeping him out. At the same time it made him furious.

Feeling restless, Dean rose back to his feet and rushed out of the room, out of the building, heading towards the parking lots.

Right now, he was a boiling can of rage.

"Where the hell did you go? You damn bastard move your bloody ass back down here, or I swear I'll kick it until my foot comes outta your mouth. Move down here Cas! I know you can bloody hear me! Don't you dare to ignore me like you did last time."

A couple passed him, giving him scared looks, but Dean did not care.

_How dare you, you little... doing such thing? _A shiver ran down the hunter's spine.

"Cas, for fuck's sake. Where the hell..." The hunter was cut off by a very familiar sound of fluttering wings.

He turned around to look at Castiel.

The angel returned the furious gaze the hunter threw him. Dean moved closer, grabbing the lapels of Castiel's dress suit.

"What the hell is wrong with you? What were you thinking? Were you thinking at all?" Dean already yelled at the man in front of him, receiving more looks from passing people. Some of them even stopped to watch their actions. When Castiel did not reply, he moved a little closer.

"Answer me, you bastard."

"Or what?"

The angel tilted his head, his eyes a blazing fire of different shades of blue. Castiel closed his fingers around the hunter's wrist and exerted enough pressure to make him let go of his dress suit.

He may have lost most of his powers, but he was still an angel and stronger than a mere human. He pushed Dean away.

"What do you want to do to me, Dean?" Castiel's voice was low and husky, giving the hunter chills. From the way the angel was behaving, Dean could tell that he tried to keep control over himself. Apparently, it took him a lot to not lose it right now and smite him.

Dean felt his heart skipping a beat at the memory of Castiel hurting him, both, in his dreams and those times when they were alone.

Dean threw those thoughts back into the darkest part of his head. He was Dean fucking Winchester. He would never let a little angel threat him or kick his ass without getting it back big time! He showed the angel an arrogant smile.

_Let's see how long you can keep this up_, he thought.

"The question is what do you wanna do to me? Don't ya think that's more appropriate? Since you jumped on me and all that stuff?" Castiel's eyes darkened a little more.

_Just a little more!_

"If you're horny just get a cloud or hooker, but not me!" There it was. Dean got the angel furious enough to snap, but now, he wondered if this had been really such a good idea. Castiel clenched his fists.

He was just inches away from losing his control and tearing the human in front of him apart.

"I don't like pathetic little angels." The last sentence Dean had spit out turned his fury into something else he could not point out.

He only knew that it hurt and he was not supposed to feel hurt.

Castiel looked down at his fists unclenching them before his gaze met the hunters green eyes. He could see the man's intention and that he had been victorious.

"Is this what you think of me?" Dean's eyes widened.

That was definitely not what he had expected, but it hurt more than any punch he had received from the angel so far.

"Do you really think I am pathetic?" Dean opened his mouth but closed it again. He simply did not know what to say. He barely noticed the people around him leaving the scene.

"Zachariah was right."

Castiel deadpanned, feeling the anger return. He could not help it but it felt good.

The warmth inside spreading from that feeling and he knew that he had to release this warmth. Otherwise, it would be too much.

Castiel knew how to release it. For sure! He had seen and done it often enough to know. He prowled towards the hunter, letting the feeling take over.

"Cas?"

The angel cocked his head a little.

"You know, Dean. I'm aware of my condition..."

"Well, I don't think so." Even though the Winchester had cut him off Castiel continued.

"I know what I must do." The angel's voice was merely a whisper and Dean got goosebumps from it.

_It's like in my dreams_.

Another picture popped up in his head. Him, tied to that non-existing wall, waiting for Castiel to inflict pain.

A cold shiver ran down his spine. And it was not as unpleasant as it was supposed to be. He really had a nice idea!

_That's ridiculous._

Castiel was standing in front of him now, mere inches away but he could easily feel the heat radiating from the angel. He noticed one arm moving upwards his sleeve, his shoulder, his neck and gripping tight to his hair.

_Oh yes._ The hunter leaned into that touch, offering himself and received what he was begging for. Castiel forced his head down onto the pavement.

He used such sheer force that Dean, even if he wanted to escape, would have failed in his attempt.

His head hit the hard ground, but he suppressed a painful moan nevertheless. And then, he hit it again and again before Castiel pulled his head up again. Blood ran down his temple, but he did not care.

That was just some side effect that usually occurred when he hit something hard.

Blue eyes met green ones and remained there for a moment.

"What do you want to do to me, Dean? What? You are neither in the position nor strong enough, but I will let you do it anyway because I allow you to do everything you want to me! If you call this pathetic then so be it. But I imply, that you are the one who made me become like this."

With this Castiel was gone and Dean was left on the pavement, alone with a freshly upcoming headache.

Lucky him!

Meanwhile, in a shabby little house

"The time was running out on them. They had to continue and before they would finally reunite with Bobby, their next destination was..." He sighed heavily and buried his hands in his short, brown ruffled hair.

"Being a prophet isn't even close to what it should be like!" Chuck cursed the screen in front of him.

There he was, sitting on a chair, in his bathrobe and a dirty old shirt, writing about two guys in a Chevy and a trench coat wearing, sexually disturbed angel with unsatisfied aggressive behavior. Life should be different for somebody like him.

Not a daytime filled with headaches, visions, writing and Whiskey.

Yeah, he needed another shot before he could continue the current chapter. Those weird moments between Dean Winchester and Castiel, the fallen angel, were way too indecent to write about in a non-drunk state.

Chuck reached for the half emptied bottle next to him and filled his mug only to empty it with just one sip.

Relieved, he let a hot breath escape him as he felt the wonders of alcohol wander through his body.

He could finish it, he knew he could and with that in mind he placed his fingers onto the keyboard again… doing nothing and leaning back into his seat once more, closing his eyes and feeling the pleasant heat burn in his throat.

"Why don't you continue that sentence?" Chuck nearly jumped from his seat and smashed his laptop shut as he heard the voice close behind him.

"No need to get all startled. I'm not gonna stay long, only passing by." the cheerful voice continued and Chuck could feel a pair of hands grabbing the backrest of his chair, pulling him back a little.

He knew who was standing behind him but still, he wished he would not. Throwing a short glance behind him, the prophet took in the rather friendly presence of the newly appeared angel within seconds.

An archangel was standing behind him, the youngest of them, but still an archangel. He turned his back towards the holy being again.

"You're rather impolite for a god picked prophet. Shouldn't you greet me at least? It's our first time." the angel continued with a smug grin, taking a few steps around the chair to have a better look at the human being.

"Hello." Chuck gulped slightly. The last time an angel had visited him he brought his 'friends' in danger and he did not want that to happen again.

He stood up and grabbed his mug, filling it with another shot of Whiskey. Cheap stuff from the Wal-Mart down the street, but it did the job and erased the previous days.

Walking away and around his so called 'workplace' he tried to ignore the presence of the archangel, making his situation worse.

Chuck could feel the archangel's eyes on him, but he tried to concentrate on his mug, holding it with slightly shaking hands. Gabriel sighed in annoyance.

Silence was so boring!

"Just tell me where the Winchesters are going and I'll be right on my way, prophet!" he said, less cheerfully than before and with a rough flap of his invisible wings he was right in front of the shaking human.

The spoken to tried to stay calm, failed and turned his gaze to the fluffy deep blue slippers he was wearing. He should buy another pair in deep red later maybe. Those were pretty worn out already.

"Answer me!" the angel ordered, feeling his patience drop a little. Precious time was passing by and he could not stand the thought of leaving all the gorgeous pranks out he had in mind for his favorite two hunters.

"There... there is one thing!" Chuck started to stumble. He would not tell Gabriel where the Winchesters were located right now. He surely would not.

He could not betray them again, also, he was the prophet, and nobody would kill him. At least, if he believed in what the previous angels had said, but he was anxious to be introduced to a world of pain and torture.

Only god knew what kind of thing this archangel could do to him without killing him.

"One thing? Yes. A name of the city or town or highway. I think we're making progress." The angel smiled a bit, moved his hands down his pants and retrieved a colorful wrapped lolly from his pocket.

It was certainly not the time to get angry and sweets always managed to cheer him up, easing his fury.

A second later, his tongue was busy with the red, cherry-flavored, round shaped sweet in his mouth, while he patiently waited for the damn prophet to continue.

Chuck swallowed the lump in his throat and looked straight into the archangel's face.

"I mean... what you've been doing to Sam... I mean, you're pretty much intruding his personal space lately. I hope you know that and that it's wrong!" he managed to nearly not stumble over his own words and felt rather proud to speak up towards an angel like the one in front of him.

He knew his kind by now and he also knew what Gabriel was up to, especially with the younger Winchester.

A few seconds passed.

Gabriel had stopped licking his lolly and withdrew it from his mouth, leaving his lips in an offensive smile. He took a step closer towards the prophet and leaned forward making Chuck lean backwards in the same motion.

"Would you like me to 'intrude' your space instead?" The low, deep voice emerged from his lips and one of his eyebrows moved upwards leaving the little human prophet stunned for a moment.

"They... they're in Creston." was the short reply from the frozen man in front of the angel. "Good boy."

Leaning back and placing the lolly back into his mouth Gabriel turned around. He soaked in the sweet taste of his delicious treat before the sound of wings was to be heard and flying manuscripts were all that was left of the archangel.

Leaving a confused and stunned Chuck behind him!

Back at the motel

Dean smashed the door open and walked straight towards the bathroom, ignoring the startled look of his brother and shut the door right behind him.

"Dean? What happened? Did you kiss a wall with your head or something?" Sam was way more curious than worried right now.

His brother seemed to walk around carelessly lately, always running into trouble.

"It was the pavement!" the mumbled voice from behind the bathroom door was hearable mixed with the sound of pouring water.

"Come again?" The bathroom door shot open. Dean was still wiping off his own blood from the injury on the left side of his head.

"I said, no wall just the pavement!" he yelled, regretting to do so immediately as a wave of pain emerged from his head and aggregated over his left temple.

"You gonna tell me how your head made contact with it or am I supposed to play Sherlock Holmes here?" Sam raised his brows for a moment, lowering them and staring at his brother in concern.

He was sitting on his bed and busy fumbling around with the food he bought. Since Dean kept silently cursing and pressing a towel against his head to finally stop the bleeding, Sam was left with his question.

"Did Cas do that to ya?"

"Don't say that name for the next couple of hours. Got me? I don't wanna hear it right now." the older Winchester scoffed at himself.

"I rather enjoy a demons company right now than dealing with that angel."

_Lie to yourself, will make everything better, you didn't enjoy... no, you didn't_, he kept telling and remembering himself as he walked back and forth in front of his brothers bed.

"Sure. Let's not talk about Cas." Stressing the name a little, just to annoy his brother more, the younger Winchester shrugged and enjoyed a sip of fresh, hot, plastic packed coffee. Dean tried to ignore everything but his own thoughts and kept walking circles.

Suddenly, he stopped his movement as his eyes caught the newspaper lying next to his younger brother.

Without hesitation he placed his butt next to him and grabbed the paper. He stared at the date and his eyes grew wide. How could he forget that special day? It was the day he sometimes lived for and it was even better since a special someone seemed not to have noticed it. One day of awesomeness laid ahead of them.

Dean's brain pushed every stress aside and his smile grew again.

"We gotta go." he simply said and stood up.

"Sure, just gimme a few minutes." Sam started to open the little box in front of him when his brother grabbed it and stuffed it back inside the bag.

"You can eat that while we're driving." Dean said and grabbed their stuff, when he came across the only chair in this room, he stopped.

Staring at the tan trench coat which was hanging over the chair, he gritted his teeth for a moment before he grabbed the garment and headed to the door.

He wanted to leave this place behind for now, hoping his thoughts would shut up and ease his steady growing headache.

He needed his head for the rest of the day.

If Sam had not noticed what day it was it was his own fault, but Dean knew what he had to do. It was the first of April and no demon, no angel, no monster could keep him from doing what he did best.

The master of pranks was on the roll.

Later, somewhere on the road

Not even ten minutes later, both Winchesters were sitting in the stainless black Chevrolet Impala heading for the next city which was Sioux Falls: an eighteen hours ride. While Dean had managed to get all the stuff back in the car, Sam had to deal with the owner of the motel. In the meantime, the older hunter easily thought about the nice little pranks he would do on this very special day.

Oh yes, they would be great.

Now, they were on the highway heading north, their first stop would be Chesterfield. Arriving somewhat around 2 pm, it would be the best place for lunch. At least in Sam's opinion! Dean had eaten his breakfast in his car, while driving and it was needless to say that his younger brother had not appreciated such a behavior.

Dean had simply shrugged it off, saying "You're eating too, so what?" and earned one of his brother's best bitch-faces ever.

Well, for now!

While driving, both men did not talk much. Dean had forced his brother to shut up after he started to talk about the so called accident in their room by turning up the volume of the radio, playing AC/DCs _'Cover You In Oil_'.

Sam had simply frowned on that song.

It certainly was everything but appropriate right now, but his dear older brother did not seem to care.

He could not be more wrong than he already was. The older Winchesters thoughts always deviated from his great and awesome pranks to the incident in the parking lot. It was not his usual way to handle such situations.

He had expected some kind of beat down, if he was honest.

Well, he had been beaten, but he actually had asked for it. _Dammit, I wanted it_, he thought contemplating.

_And he gave it to you, Winchester. You enjoyed it, didn't you, yeah... no!_ Dean growled. His headache was not helping. Biting down on his lower lip he changed into another gear. The Winchester thought about what Castiel had said.

_He lets me do it, huh? Ridiculous, why would he want somebody do that to him?_

Dean sighed.

"Sammy, you're the nerd among us. What does your knowledge say about dreams?" Sam turned his gaze towards his brother, not hiding his surprise about that question.

"Depends on what the dream is about... I guess." he replied cautiously. It took a moment before Dean explained himself. "Well... it reminds me a lot of hell." Sam narrowed his eyes but stayed quiet. "All that pain I'm inflicting and all the pain I receive." The hunter shrugged. "When I'm awake there are situations I remember the dreams. They are so alike. Kind of..." Dean made a face and looked at Sam for a second. The younger Winchester tried to make sense out of the bits of information his brother gave him.

"Is there somebody special you're torturing or who's torturing you?" he asked. He knew Dean had been suffering nightmares from his time in hell, but he had thought that this time had been over for a very long period now.

"Well... it's just me and... Cas?"

There it was.

Sam nodded understanding.

"So, you say that you're torturing Cas? And he's doin' the same thing to you? In your dreams?" he summarized and received a fast nod from his brother.

"Perhaps your subconscious is trying to tell you somethin' with this. I mean, honestly, dude, you've been quite a pisshead to Cas, lately. So, that would explain why he's torturing you." Sam stopped for a moment when he noticed his brother's confused look.

"English please."

"Your subconscious tells you that bein' a jerk to him is wrong. That's why you force yourself to imagine Cas hurting you in return!"

"Okay, and why am I hurting him, too?" Sam's lips formed a tight line.

"Perhaps you like it?" "Seriously?" Sam shrugged.

"Look, I don't really know. It could be like this is somethin' you'd like to try, or, simply, there is somethin' you want to make clear to yourself or him, or whatever. There could be dozens of explanations for it. Perhaps you need to get laid, the hard way."

Dean escaped a frustrated laugh.

"Yeah, thanks, Freud!"

"Jerk." Sam said, receiving an amused "Bitch." from his brother.

With this, the discussion was finished and Dean could change the tape with another one. Metallica, _'Turn the Page'_, that song was just perfect right now.

On the whole way both brothers had nice little chats. The highway was surprisingly quiet and they enjoyed the time talking about stupid things until the Impala started to make a quiet ticking sound which caught the brother's attention.

"Oh dammit." Sam cocked his head a little.

"What?" he asked.

"I dunno." Dean deadpanned and pulled the car from the lane.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Sam yelled in frustration as the Impala came to a sudden hold, which put an end to their journey through the woods.

Dean tried to start the car again but it seemed useless. He bent forward to stare at the gas gauge.

"It seems we've ran out of gas. I freakin' told ya my baby needed a fill up!" he said and shook his head angrily.

"Yeah, my fault sure. You could've noticed it before we end up in the middle of nowhere! We haven't passed a damn gas station for miles."

The younger Winchester crossed his arms over his chest and avoided to look at his brother, he could not believe that they were stuck right now, when they wanted to be at Bobby's.

They still had around fourteen hours to drive before they arrived at the old man's house. Sam had bothered them long enough until Dean and mainly Bobby had agreed to spend some time together. Just like a normal family would do.

He even considered inviting Castiel since the angel could probably need some family-like environment.

Dean leaned back into his seat, placing his hands together and staring straight forward onto the street.

Sam waited for the other hunter to say anything but broke the silence, when his brother did not even move a single muscle.

"Dean? We can't just wait here for someone to come and help us out!" he said, moving uncomfortably in his seat and turning towards his still silent, staring brother.

"Dean!" he said again, this time trying to sound more emphatic than before, but it still did not work.

"Fine! I'm going and get us some gas. You stay here and do... yeah, just keep doin' what you're good at." Sam sighed angrily and got out of the car. He kicked a few stones from under his feet and walked around the Impala, opening the trunk.

He moved his gaze around until he found what he was searching for.

Finding the empty canister and smashing the trunk harshly shut he let his view wander along the road, which seemed endless.

"How often did I tell ya _not_ to smash my babies back that hard? She doesn't like that!" Deans angry voice from the front seat was hearable, followed by the sound of one of his old tapes playing '_Slow Ride_' by Foghat and making the older hunter forget about the harsh treatment of his beloved Impala pretty fast.

Sam mumbled something and started his walk towards the gas oasis, hoping, he would make it there before Dean got lucky with his method to just sit and wait.

Sam would definitely not wait, if he had the chance to get them moving on faster with his method. There had to be a gas station, he knew there was because he had studied the map accurately.

Only a few miles, should be easy, he could even jog for a while, if he wanted and on his way back, he could think about something to _reward_ his brother for lecturing him again.

_My baby here, my baby there, one day your baby will roll down the clif__f! _He took a look over his shoulder only to see his brother drumming rhythms on the steering wheel, closed eyes, enjoying himself.

"Just great." he mumbled, shook his head and continued to walk. When the young Winchester was finally out of sight, Dean started to grin ludicrously.

"I'm in the mood, the rhythm is right." he sang along and got out of the car moving towards the trunk of the car.

"Move to the music, we can roll all night. Oh, oh, slow ride." He moved a few blankets and bags away only to reveal another canister which was nearly filled to the top with a brownish liquid.

Gasoline!

Dean started to fill his love up whistling a bit to the tunes that were emerging from the tape. When the canister was empty he stroke along the sun heated metal and smiled even more before he placed his butt back inside the Impala.

A victorious smile crept onto his features.

"Take it easy, Sammy." he said to himself and crossed his arms behind his head, making himself comfortable again. He would wait for at least an hour before he drove on just to catch his brother either still on the way or on his way back.

Both would do and both would make him feel better. This day was his and nobody could steel it from him, not even the awareness of his traveling thoughts, leading him to a certain angel.

Sam had started to jog. Keeping himself healthy and trained while this stupid thing called his brother was probably sleeping, laughing or making out with his aggressive angel.

He did not believe the last part, but who knew what Dean and Castiel were doing lately. Well, they had spoken about a part of it, but this was not very helpful.

Now, he knew that Dean was dreaming about the angel and all the torture that was involved with it, but that was it. He even had considered telling him about what Gabriel had said, but in the end, did not mention it.

Perhaps he should consider talking to Gabriel about this, first. He could help! At least, that's what Sam hoped for.

The young Winchester was quite aware of the situation. Dean did treat Castiel like a slave. The past days and nights were proof enough. On the other hand, Castiel was not helping to solve this problem either.

The situation this morning had shown it. Kissing his brother was nothing somebody just did. Especially not some angel of the Lord!

Sam wanted to ask Dean about this too, but it was still too early for it and he did not want to start another fight.

The last couple of days were pretty harsh for all of them. Nevertheless, it seemed like Castiel was sweet on his brother and Dean reciprocated to that in his typical way.

Sam was very sure about that, at least. A wide grin covered his face when the thought of '_pure love_' crossed his mind.

Sam stopped and turned around, looking back where he had come from, contemplating. On second thought, this idea was not that bad, if he was honest. Actually, it was the best thing that could happen to his brother. Perhaps he stopped worrying about him and Bobby with Castiel distracting him in more than one way.

He already intended to start running again, when he saw something in the corner of his eye. It was black and it was approaching him with a loud noise.

The younger hunter narrowed his eyes. This noise was kind of familiar to him. And then, his eyes widened in disbelieve.

"No way..." he gasped, his mouth agape.

_T__his isn't really happening_, he thought and watched the Impala come closer.

When the car stopped in front of him and a wide grinning Dean Winchester got off, the only thing he could do was to throw the big canister at his brother.

"I've heard the weather in April may be very nice for taking long walks, Sammy. Did you enjoy it?" Sam's brain sent him the solution to his not asked question in less than a second. He hurried over and punched him in the face. His fist hitting the chin of the older hunter, who still could not stop laughing!

"You damned bastard. I don't believe you did this to me! Fuck... you..." Shaking his head in disbelieve he could do nothing but start to join his brother laughing.

"Revenge is a bitch, dude." he simply said before walking back to the other side of the car and falling onto the passenger's seat while

Dean put the empty canister back into the trunk. "Seriously, aren't we a little too old for that?" he asked and received a sheepish smile form the other man.

"Oh, Sammy. Please. We're never too old for that. Besides, it was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, perhaps for you. I swear, you'll regret this. Big time!" Dean revved the engine.

"Oh, now I'm scared. Uuh." he replied smiling.

It took them not more than another hour before they arrived in Chesterfield. Both men were pretty hungry and decided to buy some supply, mainly beer and some crackers for the road. Currently, Dean was in one of the diners ordering food, while Sam was doing some shoplifting.

When he walked past by the pharmacy section of the little shop his eyes fell on one of the laxatives.

He took a bottle and read the information printed on the package.

"Docusate: stool and bowel movement softener. Induces diarrhea. May reduce pain and rectal damage." One brow moved upwards. There was a very nasty idea the young Winchester was forming in his mind.

His eyes started to wander off, over the other medication displayed for sale and he found something way more promising. While reading the package leaflet Sam's smile grew and became a smug grin.

"Certainly, revenge's a bitch!" The hunter cleared his throat. It was time to pay for the purchases!

Back at the car he stored the purchases on the back seat. While his brother crossed the street in front of the diner he opened two bottles of beer.

He had to hurry for this one! Sam pulled out three little salt packs, ripped them open and poured it in one of the bottles. With a serious face he nodded towards his older brother.

"Hey Sammy. Got everything we need?" The younger brother nodded.

"Yepp. Even your favorite beer."

"Woho, yes baby. That's my boy!" Dean said cheerfully and took a long sip, emptying half of the bottle, before his stomach started to rebel against the salt. Just a few seconds later everything the older Winchester could do was spitting out what he had just in his mouth. Sam's smile grew wide, he was almost beaming.

"Fuck this... what the...?" Dean coughed and slapped on his chest.

"Sam... you… boah." The eldest Winchester cursed and threw the beer into the next garbage bin, glaring at his baby brother who was laughing ruthlessly.

"Ha ha, very funny, Sam. Is this all you've got? That's weak!" he said and let himself fall down on his seat.

"Shall we leave now, or do you wanna go for little girls once more?"

The next stop on the map was Fairfield. During the hours on the highway both men had not spoken much to each other, both busy with thinking about their next possible prank. While Sam had been sleeping Dean had tried a few things, but nothing had really pleased him. Not even the photos he had taken with his cell.

Even though it was a nice view having Sam asleep while he had misused the candy wrapper as earrings. Placing his baby brother's hair in a different way he could have sworn to have a sister! One with a very flat chest!

At one occasion, Sam had awoken just to tell his brother to stop on the next gas station. Dean, of course, had gladly complied with his brother's more or less polite request.

While his brother was in the bathroom he refilled the canisters and his wonderful baby when he noticed another car stopping abruptly and a man jumping out of the passenger's side, one hand over his mouth.

"Hey, hey! Is the bathroom free to use?" the driver asked. Dean wiggled his brows and shrugged.

"Sure. Go on, haven't seen anybody in there." With this the man was rushing towards the backside of the building.

Exactly eight minutes later Dean could see his brother walking towards the car. His shirt was wet all over, like his hair and part of his denim.

The eldest Winchester smiled, when the door swung open. His brother shot him a furious glare and hissed.

"Drive."

Judging from the smell, Dean could guess what had just happened in the little bathroom-one-man-toiled-thing and he was right, when his brother told him after a few hours later.

When he found out about the reason why the man had run into him, Sam had punched his brothers shoulder hard enough that he lost control of the car and spinned out, earning a couple of horns from other drivers.

Now, they were sitting in a little motel room somewhere in Fairfield, having dinner. Sam had bought burgers, salad and pie for him and his brother.

They had agreed on stopping at a random motel. They still could drive the rest of the way tomorrow.

Tomorrow, they would be at Bobby's.

Both men were glad about that. They needed some time with their old substitute of a father. Of course, they were just checking if he was alright, all alone with this damned demon called Crowley who, still, seemed to annoy the shit out of him.

The seriously had to put an end to this!

However, Dean's attention was on something different right now. It was on the pie in front of him on the table.

But there was one thing hindering him on attacking this very delicious and sinful treat in front of him! He did not trust his brother, not at this time of the year, not on this day.

The pie was a trap, it had to be, but when his brother pulled out another box, with another piece of that delicious looking apple pie, his senses went blank.

If heaven created a paradise for each and every one of them, his would be filled with pie, long, never ending roads to drive on and maybe... his thoughts got cut off when he noticed that his brother had already started to eat. Dean could not resist anymore. He started to shove loads of pie into his mouth.

Oh, delicious.

_Wonderful!_

A wide satisfied smile was on his lips as he tasted the sugary piece on his tongue.

"That's really, really good." he mumbled while chewing.

"Yeah, not bad." Sam replied and shoved another piece of cake into his mouth. Dean cocked his head.

"Since when do you eat pie?" The younger hunter simply shrugged.

"Well, it really looked quite delicious. I couldn't resist dude." the younger hunter said and finished his pie, giving his brother an assuring smile.

"What? Am I not allowed to eat pie or what?" Dean shrugged.

"Just wondering. You're Mister Healthy All'round."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

Suddenly, Sam started to frisk himself, earning a very confused look from his brother. The fork in his mouth he asked.

"Dude, you're missin' somethin'?" Not answering, the young hunter kept frisking until he finally found what he was looking for. He pulled out a little brown bottle with a blue and white imprint.

The young Winchester turned the bottle in his hand and started to read.

"Ipecac Syrup. Let me see... ah here you go: irritates the stomach lining and stimulates the vomiting center of the brain."

"You've gotta be kiddin' me? What do you need that for?" Dean had stopped eating and was just locking eyes with his brothers.

"How's your pie?"

Sam crossed his arms over his chest and threw his brother a curious but also interested look. The older Winchester's eyes widened and he stared at his brother in disbelieve. He could not have done that.

He simply just could not, but Dean's hope was crushed by the sudden feeling in his stomach.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me?" He shot a death glare at his brother and placed the pie aside. A soft shrug, combined with a sweet sheepish turtle face was all he got as a response.

"Sam, I swear, I'm gonna kill ya for this!" Dean said pressing his teeth together. He clenched his fist and reached for his stomach, holding it in a tight embrace as he felt his brothers prank doing great work.

"Alright, I'll leave you and your new friend the toilet." He warbled and rushed out of the room, taking the keys to the Impala with him.

Outside the room he could hear his brother's angry yelling voice turning into a helpless and desperate moan, fast steps supporting his assumption that his brother was now kissing the toilet hello.

With a bright smile he started to walk along the corridor, even greeting another older guest when he left the building heading towards their car.

His stomach seemed to be empty for now. He even wondered where the hell all that stuff was coming from since he had not eaten that much the past few hours. Still he felt sick and for that, a special someone had to pay.

"Oh god, give me something to make Sam pay for this!" He could not believe those words were even coming from him, but his brother had to be punished.

"Hi there, Dean." Dean felt his heart skip a beat when he heard the well known voice of Castiel behind him.

Slowly he turned around, preparing himself to face the angel who was sitting on top of the sink, throwing the Winchester a friendly smile. The Winchester swallowed at the sight and hesitantly returned the smile.

"I didn't actually call for you, Cas." he stated, shaking his head a bit and stared at the quite too happy looking man in front of him. Castiel cocked his head to the side and smiled even brighter at the hunter.

"Dean. Silly Dean." the angel said, dangling his legs.

"Cas? What kind of cheap drugs you've been takin'?" Dean narrowed his brows at the weird behavior of the angel. Castiel was always acting in a dubious way lately, but seeing the angel smile and grin like that was unfamiliar.

It was out of place. It was creepy.

Before he could say anything else, the loud sound of wings marked the sudden move of the angel and Dean could enjoy a much closer look into the deep blue eyes that Castiel presented to him.

_Since when do your wings create such a powerful sound_, he thought before he got somewhat lost in the sight in front of him.

So close, he could even feel the slow breath of the other on his skin. It did not last long before the much stronger angel grabbed the hunter by his waist pulling him closer, turning him one-eighty and pressed his back against the sink.

"How are you, Dean?" The angel kept his happy smile like it was carved into his features and clinged to the hunter.

"Catchy question for someone who's gonna die in the next few seconds if he doesn't let go of me. Seriously Cas, it's nice to see you happy on drugs, but I'm not in the mood to deal with your jumping mood right now! Get off!" The angel did not even move an inch, instead, he got his own body even closer like he wanted to physically melt into the human.

_You've gotta be kiddin' me_, Dean tried to push and struggle against the strong arms which were holding him in a firm grip, but it was useless and it was not fair.

Castiel lowered his head, entertaining himself with the little goosepumps that appeared on the hunter's skin, where his hot breath touched it.

"Oh fuck, just stop it Cas!" Dean tried to yell at him, but cut himself off when he took in a sharp breath as he felt the others tongue running over his neck.

"I'm not doing anything to you, Dean." someone from across the table said, in the same familiar voice of the person, who was holding on to the Winchester right now. His eyes widened and he looked past Castiel only to meet the gaze of the stern looking face of Castiel. "Cas?" Dean could not believe his eyes.

_The hell...?_

The very same moment the door of the little apartment shot open and a yet still grinning Sam Winchester entered.

"Feeling better by now?" he asked before he locked eyes with his brother and noticed who he was with, his smile died immediately.

"Dean, could you please explain to me why you're sharing hugs with Gabriel? Is Cas not enough for your holy desire or what?" he asked rather annoyed and leaned against the doorframe.

"No need to get all jealous Sam. Was just playing a bit 'round with your brother. I guess he really, really likes bein' pushed."

The archangel let go of the older hunter just in time before Dean could land a punch right against Gabriel's chin, losing his balance in the process and nearly introducing the floor with his face. His day was officially ruined. Ignoring the cursing Winchester on the floor, the archangel walked over towards the younger hunter.

"I really love April! It's so inspiring! Don't ya think so too Sam?" he smiled up towards the hunter receiving a little forced grin before Sam turned his attention to his brother and the real Castiel.

Dean was already back on his feet and was leaning against the table, trying to push away, that he just had been about to give in to the fake angel. Something was wrong with him lately and a glance towards the still furious looking Castiel behind him did not make anything better. Why exactly was the angel angry right now?

It was not his fault that he fell for Gabriel's trick.

Or was it?

_Should've known it, when I heard those wings, his happiness, everything_, he contemplated and covered his eyes with his hand for a second, brushing over his whole face afterwards.

"Sam, I guess we should leave. Your brother and mine seem to need some time for them." Gabriel said and snickered softly, not allowing the younger Winchester to refuse and pulled him out of the apartment.

"You know what Cas? Screw this!" Dean hated himself for what he was about to do, but if he did not, things might never be okay again. Nothing would be the same anyway, but at least Castiel would, hopefully, feel a little better about his stay on earth.

"This feels like a pretty bad movie right now and we're the actors who don't get paid enough." he continued and walked around the table, closing the space between them. If he wanted to do that, he wanted to do it right.

"I don't understand that reference. Which movie do you refer to?" For a split second, the hunter thought that the old Castiel was back as he watched the angel tilt his head, staring at him with curiosity but it did not last long enough to enjoy the view.

A smile forced its way up on his lips and he finally knew that he was doing the right thing, for sure.

"Doesn't matter. Ya know, I wanted to do this earlier but I just couldn't bring myself to say it. I'm not the man to talk about feelings and other stuff. It's just not my thing. It's just not me but I've to admit that I'm one of the biggest douche bags you'll ever know." Dean made a pause and took in a few deep breaths.

He was not even close to where he wanted to go, but the first step was done.

"Dean?" The angels gaze softened a bit more and his anger was slowly vanishing, he did not understand why, but the voice of the hunter somewhat calmed him. He was not even angry about him or Gabriel anymore. His anger was coming and going, just as any other emotion recently.

It was weird and he could not understand why humans needed so many emotions in the first place. These emotions always led to destruction and pain but sometimes, they led them to something else.

Maybe that something else was worth the pain in the end? He did not know. He had to watch more people to find out for sure.

"I can't take back what I said and it won't change anything if I said I'd take it back." Dean finally managed to get his thoughts together again and with the sight of Castiel's softened face he knew he would manage to finish what he started.

"But I can assure you, that nothing of that crap was true. Just bullshit. You're not weak, you're not pathetic, and you're not whatever else I said. It's not that important anyway. You shouldn't give a crap about what I say. It shouldn't matter what I think about you." he said, lowering his head a little before he focused again when Castiel cut him off for a moment.

"But it matters to me." the angel told him. He did not sound pleased by the hunters words, more like he was not sure if the Winchester was right or not.

_It really matters to you what I, Dean Asshole Winchester, think about ya?_ Another smile crossed Dean's face at his thought.

"Alright, just let me finish this, okay?" He wondered how long he could keep his speech up before the angel interfered again, but continued anyway.

"Sometimes my mouth is faster than my gun or brain and Sam, Bobby, even Dad, had to shut me up from time to time. Big mouth needs a kick in the ass if you get me. What I said was wrong, but at that very moment I didn't care. I needed you to let your inner beast out, on me. And my anger as well! I deserved your anger, okay? You shouldn't gulp it down all the time! Just release it more often! It's not like you could kill me. You probably could but you wouldn't, I'm somewhat sure about that part." he trailed off at the end.

_And if you need to release it on me, that's fine, I can deal with that_, he thought immediately, feeling his breath fasten at the thought and he swallowed hard, as he felt his throat running dry.

He had to finish this before they ran out of time again.

"You're a powerful angel, Cas. You could tear me apart or break me to pieces, if you wished for. I deserved more than a kiss of the pavement back then, but you restrained yourself, as always. Your will is strong, Cas. A strong will can be much more powerful than anything else and you have that strength. Even if it faded away back there, 'cause I made it fade away." He took in another of his deep breaths, preparing himself for his next words.

"I liked it. I enjoyed seeing you losing it. I wanted to see you losing it and I... I wouldn't be able to stop you. As you said, I'm just a little human, nothing compared to you. It rather kicks my pride right in the bollocks to admit that, but it's true. You could smash me, repair me and smash me again. Like a doll, a useless puppet. So, if you want to call anyone pathetic, try me."

Oh, how he hated himself right now.

He hated weakness and presenting it to Castiel, felt as gorgeous as getting your balls sliced and fried on open fire.

Dean could not manage to look the other in the eyes. Another weak move! He waited a moment but when he did not get a response, he started to wonder and turned his head again. Those blue eyes were staring holes into his soul. He could not spot or describe the emotion on Castiel's face.

The only thing he knew was that he needed to add something more. Just a tiny thing he wanted to say for a long time now.

"Cas, I'm sorry."

People, who kept saying, apologizing felt great, were obviously lying or never ever apologized to anyone before. Dean felt everything but great. His pride was crying in the corner and his balls were probably being served right now to some fat guy in a cheap fast food restaurant.

Maybe the feeling was just a side effect of the Ipecac Syrup, but he felt like he needed to puke again. Castiel remained silent and just stood in front of the hunter, taking in steady breaths, staring at the open and emotionally vulnerable man.

He called something like this his friend! Dean had never talked that much to him, especially not about himself, his thoughts and his opinion about the angel.

"That doesn't change anything." Castiel lowered his head, trying to think about his words. Dean could not believe his ears and the sudden ache in his stomach made the feeling worse.

"Oh, right." was all he could come up with. After his long monologue he had expected a little more. He simply forgot that it was Castiel he was talking to.

"I mean, that doesn't change anything... it doesn't explain, why you activate these emotions in me. Nobody does and nobody did before. You said you wanted to make me angry. You wanted these emotions from me. Why are you doing that? Do you want to make me human, to get me down like that? Do you want to make me weak? Do you enjoy seeing me suffer? Is that the reason, why you keep getting closer, just to make me fall more and more? Why, Dean. Why are you holding me, just to push me away again? I don't understand any of your actions and your words confuse me even more! I want to understand! Dean, please. Make me understand!" Castiel managed to not scream his words but still, he was getting louder with each sentence and moved forward every now and then, bringing himself closer to the hunter. Desperation!

Dean could see it again. The knot in his stomach uncurled slowly.

"Cas. That's not my intention. It never was."

_Oh yeah, that was girlish_, he thought but continued anyway.

"Honestly, I don't like seeing you like this. Yes, I haven't noticed it like Sam did. In the beginning I didn't even care. And I was all douchy but I really don't like what's happening to you. I dunno..." Dean trailed off.

How was he supposed to say what he actually wanted to say if he could not step over his own damn pride?

_No guts, no glory_, Dean thought and inhaled deeply before having another try.

"I don't want you to change. I want you to be you, the way you really are! Besides, emotions are nothing bad. Anna had some and Gabriel certainly has some too. And they stayed who they were." The hunter bit his lower lip before he continued.

"I don't know what I'm doin'. I friggin' have no clue. Those dreams and your aggression towards me and then, suddenly, you're all horny and... I'm really losing the main point here. What I want to say is that I am probably as confused as you are. Fuck!"

_How am I supposed to think straight if he's that close, for Christ's sake! What the hell am I thinkin'?_

Those blue eyes were too close, like the owner himself. He was more than just distracted.

"Dean."

Castiel's voice brought him back from his trip into his own thoughts. He locked eyes with the slightly smaller angel in front of him once more.

"What are you trying to tell me with all of this, Dean? I don't get your point." Castiel's voice was all controlled and patient again, his expression showed pure confusion though.

_Yeah, what was my point?_ Dean tried to focus.

Talking about emotions was fairly something very hard and nothing he would like to do again in the near future. Emotions? That was something for girls... and his baby brother!

"The point is, that I have no idea what I'm talking about." he said, grabbing the angel's neck and pulling him closer. Just mere inches away he stopped!

"But I can show you!" he whispered. Closing the gap Dean pressed his lips on the angels. Castiel tensed up immediately, not sure about what to do.

As a reflex the angel pressed one hand against the hunter's chest, but Dean was faster.

Cupping the angels jaw he let go of the soft lips. Placing his forehead against Castiel's he remained like that for another second.

"You need to open your mouth." He had not opened his eyes, but he felt Castiel nod understandingly.

Once again, both men pressed their lips together. Castiel opened his mouth willingly to let the hunter's tongue slip into the wet and warm mouth.

Castiel's eyes widened. This was fairly different from the last time. With the upcoming sensation he tried to pull back, but Dean wrapped an arm around his waist and pressed the angel's body flush against his own.

Dean had opened his eyes, looking directly into those blue orbs, while his tongue kept exploring the other mouth. Playing with the tongue or at least, encouraging it to join the game, he started to move his fingers which were resting on Castiel's neck.

Dean growled into the other mouth. He never was the patient type, especially not in such matters. Once again, he let go of the angel.

He grabbed Castiel on his shoulders, using all his strength to move him against the next wall. With another deep growl the hunter attacked the angel's lips. With one hand pulling at Castiel's hair the hunter forced him to open his mouth, invading the foreign place with his tongue. As the other tongue started to fight back the hunter groaned again. Apparently, the angel preferred the hard way.

Dean tightened the grip in the black fuzzy hair, pulling a little more, he earned a low groan.

It did not take long until Castiel got more confident. Ignoring the hunter's hand pulling his hair he moved his body against Deans, shifting them until the hunter was the one who was pressed against the wall.

His hands were both placed next to Dean's head. He simply did not know what to do with them since his body was enough to keep the hunter on place. It was now on the angel to explore the other mouth and he decided that he liked it.

He liked it a lot! And he wanted more of it.

Tilting his head a little more Castiel pulled on Dean's bottom lip before forcing his tongue back into the pleasuring mouth, not noticing that the hunter had started to pull on his dress suit. When their teeth hit painfully Dean yelled into the other mouth.

The hunter had to stop this. Obviously, the angel enjoyed this quite a lot, but did not seem to notice that his body was far more reacting than it was supposed to be.

Finally, when he managed to pull his face away, the angel stopped. Castiel was confused about his behavior, he could tell.  
>Dean opened his mouth to say something but the angel was on it once more. When he noticed that the hunter did not join the fight he let go, utterly confused about that behavior.<p>

"Dean? Did I do something wrong?" The angles voice was all husky and dark, giving the hunter chills.  
>"No, not wrong..." he gasped for some more air. He really needed it right now. Pushing the angel away his gaze fell until he saw what was actually disturbing him right now. Castiel followed the hunter's eyes, staring down at the bulge in his pants.<br>More confused than he already was, Castiel tilted his head to one side, his eyes traveling towards the place the hunters green orbs were resting on. Dean gulped, not sure what to say about that, so he put on a sheepish smile.

"Need a hand?" he asked, but all he heard was the fluttering sound of his angel's wings disappearing.

"No way! No, Cas! Dammit." Dean cursed annoyed.

"You don't even know how to jerk off!" he yelled, but in vain. Seconds later he became aware of what he had just said. He ran one hand over his face.

His headache was returning, worse than before.

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><p><strong>You should get prepared for the next chapter. <strong>

**If fluffiness is what you're looking for... you can leave now.**

**Stay tuned everyone!**

**Next Chap: A deal is a deal, will Dean teach Castiel something new?  
><strong>


	13. A deal is a deal

**Updated Version**

**Here we go again. Not an easter special just a new chapter ;)**

**Warnings: This chapter contains material not suitable for minors (o rly) it may contain blood and other fluids.**

**Enjoy**

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><p><strong>13. A deal is a deal<strong>

And business is business

First, he wanted to refuse to go out and leave his brother alone with the unpredictable angel but Gabriel had somehow convinced him to come anyway. He definitely had the stronger arguments: his strength!

The evening was everything but over and the archangel wanted some fun. Sam was still thinking about a certain human being he sometimes needed to call his brother.

He had been so in thought, he had not even noticed that Gabriel had brought them to a nice looking restaurant. Now, he was staring at the curved letters stating 'Le dernier espoir'. The hunter cocked his brows in surprise.

"Gabriel? What are we doin' here?"

"What'cha think, Sam? I'm hungry. Haven't eaten anything in the last couple of hours I've been waiting for you guys to show up!" Sam turned his head to look at the smaller man next to him. "How come, that you knew where we would be?"

"Your prophet." The hunter narrowed his eyes.

"Did you... smite him?" The archangel stared at the taller man mouth agape. His expression showed hurt and Sam felt like he had to apologize.

"No offense, but..."

"None taken, Sammy and no, I didn't smite him. Actually, I was very polite. He was the one who was rude to me!" A little smile made its way onto Sam's lips. He could imagine what Chuck had looked like when Gabriel had shown up. He was a special kind of archangel. At least in regard of his behavior!

"Hey, you wanna stay put or come inside? Have heard they have nice cake!" Gabriel wiggled his brows and grabbed the hunter's sleeve, pulling the taller man with him.

It felt weird to sit in a rather expensive restaurant. Especially with an archangel, but the quiet private corner, the other had chosen, was perfect to talk.

And Sam was eager to talk.

To get all that stuff out of his head and if he was honest to himself, he had wanted to talk to that specific angel in the first place after all.

Gabriel gave him a, for his taste, way too concerned look, making the hunter close his eyes and lowering his head.

"Ya know I seriously have no idea why I'm telling you all this but I don't want to make Dean's problems grow further. He worries too much about everything and at least 88% of those worries involve me." Sam sighed a little and buried one hand into his hair.

He could not believe he really was talking to an archangel he barely knew about stuff he would not even consider talking about to his own brother. That was not normal.

"Sam, Sam, Sam." The archangel shook his head slowly, while an amused grin crept its way up on his face.

"You talk about your brother like you are your brother and you don't even notice that. You worry about him. He worries about you. Worry, worry and more worry. You don't even recognize what unhealthy relationship you two keep up with each other."

It was so easy to see, but none of the brothers seemed to spend their time thinking on the real problem than the time they spent thinking about each other.

At times like that, Gabriel saw the similarity to his own brothers and something ached inside him.

"If we couldn't worry about each other, we wouldn't have to protect our so called family. Maybe I should remind him about that every day, but that isn't necessary. We know that we're brothers. He can trust me but at times he doesn't. We've been through hell and back and neither of us would let the other down. Not again. That's what family stands for. If we need help, we come running without asking. If needed, we even slice us through hordes of demons or lose an eye, but we do it. He would do it for me and I would do it for him."

While Sam kept talking, Gabriel concentrated on the hunters face, folded his hands and placed his chin onto them. The Winchester noticed and started to wonder, if the angel had even listened to what he had said or was busy staring at him.

It reminded him of someone else and the thoughts that crossed his mind were rather irritating, so he pushed them away and smiled friendly at the other.

"Any salad dip on my face or what?" Gabriel smiled.

"Nope. No salad dip." The young hunter frowned.

"But...?" Gabriel shrugged.

"No but. And yes, I've been listening! I simply did not want to interrupt you." Sam nodded. "Whatever. There is something I think you might better know."

"What would that be?" Gabriel shot back, his eyes not averting from Sam's face.

_Those angels really have something for this staring stuff_, the hunter thought forcing up a smile.

"You were right about Cas. I think he really seems to have a crush on Dean. And the other way around!" he started.

"You don't sound happy about that fact, Sam." Gabriel replied calm.

The Winchester considered that statement for a second, but then shook his head.

"I am glad, to be honest. I think this is something good, for once. Since all that crap started. I dunno. It was hard for everyone. But I wonder if they can make it." Sam sighed. He took his glass and nipped on it.

"I know Dean. He's not into relations. He's the easy goin' type. And Cas... he's so friggin' naive that it hurts! Seriously. How come that all other angels, you included, are that experienced?"

The question made Gabriel smile.

"It's because we're far longer on earth than he's been, Sam." the archangel explained.

"He's still very young. Compared to me." Sam nodded.

"But this could be a problem. He takes everything painfully serious, even what Dean said the last night. It was just..."

Sam shook his head when the memories of last night crossed his mind.

"What did he say?"

"He... he told him that he was useless."

The archangel's expression went blank.

"We met Zachariah. Or at least, Dean did. Cas showed up to help him and well, Zachariah said those things, not very nice things. After that, Dean got furious and practically humiliated him, why the hell am I tellin' you this in the first place?" Sam sighed and took another sip from his glass.

"This little... didn't I tell you to watch them? Prevent such things from happening?" Gabriel's voice was barely understandable and the hunter did not like the tone of it. He had not seen the archangel that serious.

Ever!

Sam gave it an agreeing nod.

"You're right. But I'm just human. I wasn't there when Zachariah showed up. It was a trap. When I arrived, well, most of it was already said. And Dean, I tried to stop him, but too late, unfortunately. However, my point is that I have my doubts that this Dean and Cas thing will end well. I wish for it to end well, but I know my brother. He fucks up everything, even though he doesn't mean it."

Gabriel nodded understanding.

"That's true. I still don't understand what Cassy likes about him. He's a prick, an arrogant, annoying, impertinent little bonehead." the archangel said, biting into a chocolate bar. Where did the chocolate bar come from, anyway? Sam blinked a few times.

"I got it. You don't like him, but he's still my brother."

"With a crush on an angel. Want one?" Before the hunter could refuse Gabriel had reached over the table and shoved a thin chocolate-strawberry bar into the taller man's mouth.

"It has fewer calories than usually. You'll like it." Sam had to cough because the archangel had simply shoved the bar too far into his mouth.

"Yeah... thanks, Gabriel. I doubt you're taking this serious." The Winchester smiled and cocked his brows, earning an apologetic smile from the archangel. Gabriel leaned back. "Don't worry so much, Sam. Both, Dean and Cas, have quite a profound bond. Nothing can shake this connection." He shrugged cheerfully.

"As long as Dean doesn't cheat on Cassy." Sam let his head fall into his palms.

"They're screwed."

Back at the motel

He remembered that smell.

Dean was immediately aware of where he was and with whom. It was not difficult after the past couple of times.

He slowly opened his eyes taking in his surroundings and the angel.

_Cas_.

The hunter moved closer to the being tied to the wall, head lowered.

"Cas?" The man in front of him startled and raised his head.

"It's time." he said. The hunters green eyes met the angels blue ones. After a short moment Castiel nodded.

Dean moved closer to the angel, reaching out for the utility table.

He grabbed the knife and turned it in his hand, watching the light reflect on the shining metal. The hunter sighed.

"I don't know why." he said earning a confused look from the angel. Putting the tip of the knife against Castiel's chest, he repeated.

"I don't know, why." The hunter could watch the angel tilt his head in that specific manner he always did when he did not understand a reference.

"This!" he forced the sharp blade into the white skin.

"I don't know why we're doing this." A moan escaped the angel's throat.

"You asked me the last time. Didn't you? But I can't stop, it's too..." Dean trailed off. He withdrew the blade from the flesh and looked at the blood leaking out of the wound. It was nothing serious since he had not pierced the angels grace with an angel blade. It had to be okay. Dean furrowed his brows, stepping a little closer.

There were only mere inches between them, but he kept his attention on the wound. The hunter's free hand moved upwards, touching the edges of the torn skin earning a long moan. The blood covered his fingers but

Dean did not care.

He commanded his fingers to start walking on the skin, through the blood, over the torn flesh, leaving a red path. The body began to move, intending to escape those fingers, but failed when the hunter pressed the knife into Castiel's lower back.

There was no other way but to push his body towards Dean.

"Don't move!" he commanded and continued his way over the angels torso. The hunter narrowed his eyes. He was missing something. He curled his fingers until the nails started to dig into the sweaty flesh and left deep scratches behind.

He smiled. That was missing! Another moan from the angel! That was very pleasuring, if he was honest.

Dean looked at Castiel's face, focusing on the blue eyes, which were constantly resting on him. Of course he had noticed that.

Dean's smile grew wider when he noticed the slight shivers going through the angel's body. "I haven't even started yet." the Winchester said, turning the knife in Castiel's back to the left. "You seem quite excited, don't you?" A groan escaped the angel's throat. Castiel was very persistent. His gaze was resting on the hunter no matter what was done to him.

"You're so quiet today. Don't you wanna say something? Anything?" When the angel did not respond Dean simply shrugged.

"Fine, perhaps later." he said and stepped back to get another knife from the table. It was shorter but thicker than the other one.

"I would say, cry if it hurts too much but since I know for sure that you would never cry, I'll skip this part, okay?"

Smiling, he walked back and put one hand on the angel's shoulder. He forced it upwards that he had a clear view on it.

"This might prick a little." With those words, Dean stabbed the knife right through the flesh. He was rewarded with a painful yell of the angel, throwing his head back a little.

The knife rested between the collarbone, the shoulder blade and the head of the humerus. The Winchester frowned. Again, he had the feeling something was not right, but he could not put the finger on it.

Grabbing Castiel's chin he forced the angel to look at him again.

"What do I wanna do to you, do you remember that question?" Dean's voice was husky and low. The angel did not bother to answer. He simply stared at the green eyes in front of him.

"Answer me!" The loud yell echoed through the place they were in, but the angel was not scared at all.

He kept his gaze on the hunter who seemed slightly desperate.

"Why don't you say something? Aren't you curious?" Castiel's head turned around, his gaze moving until it rested on the utility table. Dean looked at the table and then back at the angel's face. Castiel turned back to the hunter, giving him a knowing look. Dean's breath got faster. Automatically, he reached out for something on the table.

He wrapped his fingers around a small long iron needle. Everyone else would have probably used it to crochet some nice white cloths or scarves but not Dean.

He forced it into the flesh just below the angel's navel and above the hem of his pants, who groaned from the depth of his throat. Dean had to admit, he liked the sounds the angel made. He wanted to hear more of them, enjoying every single tone he made.

The hunter's free hand started to move again, covering the remaining clean parts of the angel's chest with his own blood.

He could feel Castiel's eyes on him, steady following every move he did. Yes, he really loved this! The soft skin, the sounds, the shivers, all of it was because of him. But right now, it was not enough.

"You said, you'd let me do whatever I wanna do..." The hunter trailed off. There was something he wanted to do for sure. And now, that the angel was chained and restricted in his movement, well, he could do anything he wanted now.

Dean withdrew the long needle and dropped it to the ground, stepping closer. He moved the blood covered hand to his mouth. He knew that the angel was watching him, when his tongue flicked out and started to lick off the red liquid. With relish he moved his tongue over the index finger to the tip.

Then, he moved on with the next finger. His eyes rested on the tied up angel in front of him who was pulling on his chains violently. Dean smiled.

"Do you want it?" he asked, holding his hand in front of Castiel's face.

The Winchesters smile grew when he watched the angel cock his head in the desperate attempt to taste his own blood. When he felt the wet tongue moving over his palm and fingers, Dean held his breath.

This angel had really an eager tongue, he had to admit.

In a fluid motion the hunter grabbed Castiel's chin and his eyes were locked with the angel at once.

"You better stop. Don't wanna loose any fingers." Deans voice was a little husky but he did not care. He could not care about it right now.

He wanted to try something different. Dean let his hand wander off, from the chin of the angel down his throat, over his collar bone, down his chest and stomach to the hem of the black soaked pants.

He could see Castiel struggling more and more the further down his hand went. Still, there was no word escaping the angel's mouth, no attempt to make him stop. Nothing, but the violent struggles and a few deep groans!

However, the struggles and groans came to a sudden halt, when Dean scratched his index finger over the leather belt.

The hunter's eyes turned toward the angel, who had completely frozen, even though his eyes were still on the hunter.

Now it was on the Winchester to tilt his head because Castiel shook his slightly, not averting his gaze. Dean frowned and intended to continue.

It was his dream.

He could do whatever he wanted. He wrapped his fingers around the strong leather, trying to unbuckle the belt, but in the very moment he had pulled out one end of it, his hand clawed at free air.

He lowered his head and saw nothing. When Dean lifted his head again, Castiel was not tied to the wall anymore. He actually was not even there anymore.

"The hell...?" He stared onto the cuffs hammered into the wall and his gaze wandered off. He made a turn on his heel. He still did not understand what had just happened.

"Cas? Where are you?"

Dean narrowed his eyes. Was the darkness surrounding him getting closer, or was he just imagining it?

"Cas? C'mon, where did you go? Cas...?" A very unpleasant shiver ran down Dean's spine. This place was not that inviting anymore as it had been with the angel's presence. He had to get him back here. He did not want to be alone in this place.

Not again!

"Cas! Please..." He gulped. "Don't leave me here..." he mumbled a little more desperate, before the darkness covered all he could see until nothing was left.

Dean closed his eyes.

In that very moment something grabbed his shoulder. Dean's eyes shot open, his hand instinctively wandered to the side of the bed and switched on the little light next to him on the nightstand, before he turned his head again, staring directly into the angel's face. It was still rather dark but he could see the shining bright blue orbs filled with concern.

"Are you alright, Dean?" The hunter jumped into an upright position, taking in his surroundings. He was on his bed, it was dark and Castiel was sitting on the edge, his right hand on the hunters left shoulder, right on the mark he had left once.

"Cas, you're here?"

"Yes. You called me, Dean." The hunter nodded slowly. Possibly he had been talking in his sleep, or rather, screaming.

"Did you have another bad dream, Dean?" The angel tilted his head, deep creases on his forehead indicating his worry.

"Dean?" Said hunter simply stared at Castiel. The angel was still without his trench coat, he noticed.

"Dean?" Like a signal he had been waiting for, Dean's hand automatically rushed forward, grabbing the blue tie dangling from the angel's neck and pulled on it.

Castiel let him do so without hesitation just to find himself thrown against the hunter's chest. Dean's head rested in the crook of his neck.

"Dean?"

"Cas... don't." he whispered and the angel closed his mouth.

They stayed like this for a few minutes before Dean started to remove himself from the angel. He smiled, not sure, whether the angel could see it or not. He wanted to say something, but could not come up with anything useful.

Dean inhaled some air.

"You forgot your trench coat, when you left in the morning." he said and immediately wanted to slap himself for such a ridiculous thing. Castiel nodded understandingly and shifted, intending to stand up from the bed, but Dean's hand on his tie stopped him.

"Where're ya goin'?" Castiel furrowed his brow.

"I believe, you said I shall get the coat back." That was so typically Castiel. Dean could do nothing but shake his head about this behavior.

"Yes... but not yet. First things first." he replied and pulled the angel back.

Hesitantly, Castiel followed the hunter's silent order and placed himself back onto the bed. "You don't even know where it is anyway." Dean wanted to slap himself once more at his own remark but instead, he just continued to smile.

He could not believe that something like a nightmare could make him behave like this.

Why was his memory mixing things together lately anyway?

_Oh right_, he remembered the reason but he did not want to care.

Not now.

Not here.

Not with this company, but he could see that Castiel was in his head right now, following his thoughts.

He could figure out that much as the concerned look on the angel deepened even more.

_I still dislike it when you invade my brain, Cas. It's like invading my personal space on another level_, he thought and cleared his brain with that one notion out.

He noticed the caught look in the other man's eyes and his mood brightened as the angel lowered his head a bit, avoiding the eye contact with the hunter.

While his opposite was distracted, Dean moved himself closer a little more.

He knew he wanted to try and somewhat continue what he had started earlier that evening. If Castiel had not lied to him, he could do it without any regret, but if he believed in his dreams, he should probably wait for the angel to warm up to him, but the Winchester could not simply abide any longer.

He hated to wait for something like that. In a world like this, he could die each second and breathe his last, so why wasting time, if they could already be somewhere flying above the clouds, figuratively.

Dean wanted to forget the memories and somehow, kissing that damn angel was doing the trick, at least for now.

A blank mind was everything he needed at the moment. He made the first step again and placed his left hand onto the others thigh, receiving the full attention of the angel immediately. It could not be that different from soothing and distracting a woman from his true intention.

Castiel seemed to consider which motion was currently worth his attention, either the feeling of the warmth applied to his leg, which Dean started to stroke up and down slowly or the hunter's face, who moved closer and closer steadily.

Furling his brows he stopped looking up and down and kept his eyes on the Winchester's face, already feeling the permanent strokes of the others breaths on his skin. He should not be able to feel that much, not even wind had affected him when he took his first step on this planet, but now, even that small, hot stream of air was affecting him. Castiel was not sure if he liked what it did to him or whether he was allowed to like it, but who cared anymore for what he did and what not.

Everything was yesterday and everything was the apocalypse, but right now, everything seemed to be the carbon dioxide filled, warm breath emerging from the other being in this room, combined with green, slightly narrowed eyes.

He wanted to say something. Ask anything of import but all Castiel did, was to slightly part his lips, no words leaving him.

Dean pressed his fingers into the fabric of the angel's trousers and moved his head forward, tilting it a bit to gain the perfect access to the others lips.

As much as he enjoyed seeing the startled look in the angel's eyes, he still closed his own, giving in to the little sensation, which the feeling of Castiel's lips against his own was rewarding him with.

_Yes, I could get used to this__._

Dean wanted his thoughts gone but his brain seemed to enjoy teasing him. He needed more sensation to make it shut up. Sucking on the upper lip, only to switch to its lower part, the hunter ignored the passive action of the angel for a moment, as he started to caress the slightly bruised parts with his tongue, wetting those dry lips in the process.

While he continued to work on the soft skin, he even tried to catch a bit of the vulnerable flesh with his teeth, only to let go of it again, teasing and threatening Castiel's open mouth with all he could give.

The lack of response irritated him though. He was missing the angels input like he did last time. He tried to act less overtaking and made little pauses between his actions.

He felt his own, unshaved skin brushing against Castiel's and it started to feel itchy.

If he could spend a minute later, he would take the time to teach the angel how to properly shave! Dean could not even enjoy the warmth of the others skin long enough before it was replaced with air.

For a split second, a huge hole formed inside of the Winchesters guts. The hunter thought that the angel had disappeared once more, but when he opened his eyes, Castiel was still there, sitting next to him.

The skin around his mouth slightly flushed. Did he really suck that hard? If so, he could not care less.

All he wanted was to connect to that skin again, making it flush even more. While Dean kept staring at the angel, he sincerely wished, to just intrude the others thoughts himself, to understand what was going on behind those curious, confused looking eyes.

"Dean, I don't understand why you're doing this." the angel said and turned his head back, while his body refused to move away completely.

"Because it feels good?" was the short and slightly annoyed reply from the hunter. He hated to talk in such kind of situations.

It was not the time for talk, it was time for body language, but it seemed the angel did totally not understand his.

"It's good and that's what's important right now." he continued, feeling the upcoming rage and desperation in his chest.

"Dean..."

The hunter did not wait any longer.

Forcefully, he invaded the others lips again. Hoping the angel would answer his silent call this time, he started to nudge his tongue against the bruised skin.

While his tongue continued to slowly draw unknown lines on the angel's lower lip, he finally got a reply, as he felt the tip of another tongue poking against his own.

_Finally_, he thought and a relieved sigh escaped him, which seemed to encourage Castiel to try out some more than just touching the tip of the others tongue with his own.

He had followed the hunters example and closed his eyes too, wondering if that was actually necessary since he, if he was honest to himself, wanted to see the soulful expression in the other's eyes, while he treated him like this, but if Dean preferred it that way, he would avoid to protest.

Hesitantly, he moved his tongue over the hot, wet muscle, unsure, if it was supposed to taste differently than the first time the hunter had introduced his tongue to him. Somehow, he came up with the weird idea, the slightly sour taste was connected to the Winchester's eating behavior.

Maybe, if he tasted something sweet, he would later taste sweet too?

It was an interesting thought, which, if possible, he would like to explore further. But right now, he did not know and he did not mind the current taste. He was way more concerned about the upcoming feeling inside of him, which was similar to the last time they shared a kiss. It felt weird, uncontrollable, and voluntary.

He was not used to that kind of sensation.

Dean, on his side, was busy teaching the angel's tongue in the art of circling, teasing and pushing the other one around, before he pulled his own actions back a bit, inviting Castiel to try something himself.

Sadly, he did not receive the wanted reaction and decided to overact the little disappointment and repeated to nibble on the angel's lips.

Since they had started this he could feel his heartbeat increasing at the same rate as his breathing.

He used his free, right hand and reached up, just to bury it into dark brown, nearly black hair, groping and stroking through it, while his left moved along Castiel's thighs.

Meanwhile, he pressed his lips on the angel's and their tongues slid against and over each other. Dean enjoyed a little tongue twist from time to time and fighting like that with an angel was more or less a funny thought.

Still, the angel held back…

The Winchester came up with another idea and moved his hand along the inside of the angel's thighs, earning an uncontrolled, sudden shiver from the angel, but kept moving his hand down anyway.

He could not deny that he enjoyed the feeling of the trembling body, just like he did in his dreams.

His motion came to an abrupt halt, when he felt a strong grip on his hand. The angel lowered his head, breaking the kiss in the process, causing the hunter to open his eyes. He removed his hand from the others hair.

Dean felt the trembling increasing and the pressure, which was forced on his hand, made him worry a bit. The angel was strong and if he would lose it, he would probably break something.

"Cas, everything alright?" It was a stupid question since obviously nothing was alright with the shivering being in front of him.

Castiel felt that weird tension and the growing sensation in his groin, this time, it felt even stronger and even more intense than before. He could not figure out why and how that was possible but he decided he did not like it.

When the hunter hissed, the angel raised his head and stared into the painfully narrowed eyes in front of him. He loosened his grip and forced his hands onto the bed, torturing the sheets with his strength instead.

"Dean. I don't understand... what is this?" Castiel's voice was shaking, while he buried his fists into the sheets, nearly ripping them apart. The feeling inside him grew with every move he made now, but he could not sit still either.

He was lucky enough, when the feeling in his groin had stopped earlier, but now it was growing again. His body was out of control.

"Dean."

Dean gulped. He did not expect to ever hear Castiel cry out his name in such a helpless way. The hunter opened his mouth and kept staring at the squirming man before him.

He had enjoyed the view in his dream, but in reality it was a tiny bit different. His brain was working and his senses were tensed even more.

Castiel turned his face towards the hunter. The Winchester knew that expression by now. The angel's eyes were filled with longing and desire, even if that very angel did not seem to know it himself.

Castiel tried to hold himself up with his shaky arms, supporting himself and getting closer to the hunter again. If Dean knew how to stop this, he wanted him to stop it.

"Cas."

Dean swallowed hard, when he felt the hot breath of the angel brushing against his skin. He moved forward. Castiel's blue eyes seemed to be close to tears and were focused on the Winchester.

The need of being closer made it worse and he lowered his gaze, facing the sheets and clinging to them, breathing shortly and heavily.

Dean could not stand one hand on the angel's thigh again and rubbing it softly, he made everything worse.

A sudden tremble ran through Castiel's body and he cried out.

"Cas, I do know what you need. At least, I'm pretty sure I do. I can help ya." the hunter said with a low voice, feeling a bit powerful and his self esteem grew even more. He only knew one thing he could do since the angel was obviously not in the state to do it himself. Castiel was not himself right now, he had to admit that. He was vulnerable but also unpredictable. If this was a new emotion, the angel had to deal with and could not control, then he would do his best to help him through it.

Hell, they could either turn back or move forward, nothing to lose when the apocalypse was knocking.

A shiver ran down his back as he remembered what Castiel had said while he, Dean Winchester, was busy kissing the pavement.

He could do whatever he wanted, he would let him do it, but on second thought, the hunter did not really know if that really was what he wanted.

The only thing he knew for sure was that it felt nice to have the angel next to him, especially in such a moment of weakness.

Maybe it was time to reward his friend for all the times he endured the Winchester's selfish actions and if that meant to give the angel a moment of total bliss, then he would give it at least a try.

His offer to help the angel did not seem to make it through to the others brain. Castiel was beyond clear thinking again, but the hunter hoped to break that state and pull him back into reality.

Not wasting any more time, Dean moved his hand forward, touching the fabric covering the angel's crotch.

He was right after all.

The angel was aroused and the tightness of his pants did not make it easier for him.

Taking in a sharp sip of air, Castiel stiffened before his body continued to tremble. He would not leave this time, even though he wanted to vanish, just to prevent the hunter from seeing him like this.

It must have been an awful sight to watch a holy angel of the Lord that low, shivering and reacting like that, but the feeling of the others hand down on him was new and different. It was weird but his vessel reacted to it.

He could not stand the sensation.

"Dean?" His word pool was reduced to that one name.

If that was what humans called sweet oblivion, than he could not understand why they worshiped it so much.

Castiel managed to keep his eyes open and fixed with the Winchester's while he leaned more and more forward as he felt the hand of the hunter stroking along the fabric.

Whatever that feeling was, it was not enough to increase it from the outside. The exerted friction was not enough.

_I know what that feels like, _Dean thought and grinned a little. It was unpleasant. He wondered how much more the angel could handle and only thinking about the fact that Castiel was still a virgin, made his stomach curl. If he had never experienced anything like this, he had to introduce him to each step without going too fast.

"Fuck." he whispered more to himself than to the angel. The Winchester was not in the mood to teach something like this but doing it the fast way would probably disturb everything he had started.

"Lean back." Dean did not want to let it sound like an order but could not suppress the forceful sound in his voice.

Hoping the hunter knew what he was doing, Castiel still obeyed, even though he was not pleased with the sudden lack of warmth, which was spreading from the human's skin.

Dean placed his hand on the angel's chest, guiding him down and next to him on the bed.

Questions ran through Castiel's head while his eyes followed the hunter's hand which moved downwards, pushing the fabric of the dress suit up and out of the way, exposing more skin. After Dean had unbuckled the belt, he tugged the trousers down as much as possible in the angel's lying position.

He did not protest, but threw an unpleased glance towards the Winchester.

_Let's go_, was all Dean thought before he hesitantly slid his right hand down Castiel's belly, his fingertips digging into the skin and disappearing under the fabric of the angel's boxers. He kept his gaze fixed on the others face, he wanted to see what kind of reaction it caused to touch him like this.

When his fingers finally made contact with the other mans manhood the trembling stopped immediately.

The body was frozen and the angel kept staring straight forward in disbelieve. Dean decided it was time for the holy creature, to feel what it was like being human and reached down fully, surrounding the already partly erected member with his fingers.

_That bastard is bigger! _The Winchester made a face before the sudden movement under him brought him back to his current task.

Castiel disliked being touched and groped like this, he could point out that much, but that was obviously normal for a non-experienced angel like him.

Changing the strong hold into a rather loose grasp, Dean started to massage the shaft in his hand firmly, pulling the now fully erect crotch out off his hiding place.

The clothing would only get dirty if he continued to stroke him underneath. Even though he did not want to look, he felt his eyes wander towards his own hand stroking the other male from time to time.

But mostly, he kept observing the angel's face, grinning slightly as he watched the weird expressions he had never seen on Castiel's face before, come and go. That very angel closed his eyes and fidget uneasily.

Dean had to change his method and switched from massaging to stroking up and down, pulling the skin back and forth in the motion. He expected the angel to not last that long, but he also wanted to make Castiel's first time rather enjoyable.

His effort was rewarded with a number of heavy pants emerging from the others mouth. Finding his pace, the hunter combined the stroking method with the earlier massaging one and increased his speed slowly.

Castiel's eyes shot open again.

It was not bearable, that was all he knew and with a swift move he turned himself to the left, presenting his back to the hunter, who simply followed the move and did not let go at all. Castiel curled up to himself, making it harder for the Winchester to touch him, but the hand still kept teasing and torturing him.

Dean even increased the pressure on him.

Death! He would die. If that was how dying felt like, he wished it would be over soon instead of torturing him like this.

Castiel could not sort out that feeling if it was either pain or something else. What else, he could not figure out, but he could feel it, when each muscle in his lower body started to tremble, like someone was sending electricity through his body.

He tensed up only to go flaccid again, tensing up once more and repeating the process until he could feel his own skin getting sweaty.

While his hands kept holding on to the sheets, trying to release the tension on them, he barely noticed when the hunter moved his thumb over his glans in a circling motion, pressing down and making the feeling even worse or maybe, even better. Suddenly the rubbing turned from dry into a slightly slippery sensation.

Dean felt precum leaking from the tip of Castiel's dick and he continued to circle and penetrate the most sensitive skin. He bit onto his bottom lip, when he earned another unknown sound from the angel, a way higher moan than before.

Not even his dreams had been that creative to imagine what kind of noises the angel was capable of. It was wrong, he knew, but the sounds escaping Castiel's mouth were totally worth it. The only thing, that worried him a bit, was the upcoming feeling in his own crotch, which he could not deny.

He reacted to this.

He liked it.

Castiel was writhing underneath him, arching and silently begging for this to stop, but if that hand stopped moving, he would regret it, if it left him alone with this weird feeling.

He could feel the pressure building in his groin but it just would not come up. He did not want it to come up anyway.

It was not going anywhere.

It just remained inside him and increased with each stroke the hunter gave him. He could not look into the others eyes and squeezed them shut while his head moved backwards and a deep moan slipped over his lips.

Uncurling himself Castiel gave up and accepted his fate. He would die like this, with the hunter being the one bringing death upon him. It could not mean anything else.

He was lost in this sensation that took over his whole body.

The heat, which had started to spread from his crotch was already forcing itself into his head and numbed his thoughts. Thinking was impossible. Everything that mattered was the firm yet mild grasp which the hunter was holding him with.

It was all over.

Dean felt a mix of pity and amusement as he watched the angel, he had lasted far longer than he had imagined.

Remembering his first time, it was over far sooner than it had begun and it had been embarrassing.

He wanted to help Castiel to jump over the edge but somehow the angel was holding back, if that was even possible. His brain seemed to block the need to release and fall into a sweet nothingness, before reality hit back again, but was worth the whole effort. The Winchester knew he could make him loose it.

Without waiting any longer, he lowered his head to the others ear mumbling the angel's nickname before he softly caressed the little bit of exposed skin on Castiel's neck, brushing his lips against it before he used his teeth to nibble and tug at the hot flesh.

"Dean!"

His name!

He knew it and all the time he had furrowed his brows in annoyance every time Castiel had said his name behind, next or in front of him in that unnatural monotonous voice, but now, his name was music, sung by an angel.

Dean pressed his body against the angel's and felt the heat that was exceeding from the body close to him.

Closing his eyes, he continued to bite into Castiel's shoulder, while he slid faster and faster over the pulsating organ in his hand, which was already wet enough to call it slippery. The body next to him tensed up and arched against him, feeling the angel's back pressing backwards he knew he had successfully brought Castiel over the edge, but he kept stroking him some more to make sure, he was really where he needed to be.

Once more he could hear the angel say his name but in the middle of the first syllable his low voice was replaced by an inhuman sound which caused him to stop his movement and cringe in surprise.

It was loud and in some language he could not understand but even if he could, his ears would not be able to get it. The sound did not last long, but long enough to make the hunter squeeze his eyes shut and roll to his side.

Glass was shattering and the bottle on the nightstand next to him found itself broken into pieces and spread across the floor.

Somewhere in the distance he could hear something like an intense honking and beeping, but he did not know if it was just his imagination.

All he knew right now was that his ears felt like they were bleeding and a sharp high tune was tingling inside his brain. Dean supported himself on his free arm, to prevent a sudden collapse onto the angel.

That sound, he remembered, what it was.

A long time ago Castiel had told him that his real voice was not bearable for most humans and he, Dean Winchester, was one of those who could not bear it. Slowly, the worst pain started to vanish, but kept lingering inside his tympanum.

He could already welcome the freshly spreading headache. When he was done pitying himself, the hunter's attention was back on the angel, who was heavily panting beneath him and turning his head to face the Winchester.

Dean shook his head violently, letting a groan escape his throat.

"That was... loud." he said, giving the angel a little smile. Castiel's eyes widened when he understood what had just happened. He had lost control over his true voice. The angel gulped and lowered his gaze.

"I'm sorry Dean. I was not able to restrain myself. It was very overwhelming." The hunter's expression softened.

"I figured that. Just try to keep your true voice quiet next time or at least a little lower." The angel's eyes widened more, if that was even possible.

"You... want to repeat this?"

"You don't?" the hunter shot back and moved a little closer to the angel's face. Castiel's face still showed panic, but he nodded nevertheless. It had been unpleasant, but if this was the only way to get rid of this problem, he would do it again.

Pleased, the hunter backed off again.

"That's good."

Deans eyed the ugly clock on the wall and frowned. It was only one in the morning. That archangel had obviously 'kidnapped' his baby brother since Sam had not come back yet. "Dean? Do you want me to leave?"

The hunter's attention was back at the angel, immediately.

"What? Why? No! You stay put. Don't you move a muscle." he hissed but the very moment he saw Castiel's servile nodding he regretted his words.

The hunter bit down on his bottom lip.

"That means, if you want to stay. You don't have anywhere to go, right? That's what ya said!" Dean smiled sheepishly.

He did not mean to boss the angel around.

Castiel kept silent. He did not dare to move nor speak. Even though he wished to leave he could not.

He still felt the aftershocks of his high and he was not sure if he really wanted it again, ever!

"Cas?"

Dean's rough voice brought him back to reality.

"You're gonna stay, right?" The angel nodded hesitantly. He simply could not figure this human.

There were so many things he still had to learn to understand the hunter. When Castiel felt the bed springs move he turned around. Dean had stood up, walking over to his duffel bag.

"Your coat's in here. I didn't make it to clean it, you know I'm a little lazy in such things, but I'm sure you can use your mojo on this one. Your suit doesn't look that dirty. I guess, you won't mind some blood stains, do ya?" Dean offered a great smile, but all he earned from the angel was another of his patented confused looks.

His smile grew wider.

_This angel_. Not even aware of it, Dean's gaze moved over the angel's body.

_What the hell's just wrong with you, Winchester?_ The hunter lifted his hand to rub his thumb over his bottom lip, but froze when he remembered that this was not such a good idea. Walking towards the bathroom he threw a glance back to the angel.

"Hey, Cas. You probably should get cleaned up. Shower's all yours." Absent minded Dean wetted his lips.

_This is all a little awkward right now_, he decided and started to let water rinse over his hands.

When he did not receive any reply from the angel he turned his head back just to see that very angel taking off his clothes.

"Holy..." The hunter bit down a curse when he walked out the little room again.

"What are you doin'?" Castiel tilted his head. "Taking off my clothes. I believe showering does not require clothes, Dean." the angel deadpanned. The Winchester's expression went blank. A little desperate smile crept onto his lips.

"Uhm... yes. Sure! Just do that inside this room!" He pointed towards the bathroom. Castiel went silent and stared at an invisible point inside the little room. Then, he nodded and walked past Dean, closing the door in one swift move.

The hunter turned around, releasing a breath he was not even aware of holding.

_Well, that went well, Winchester_.

Once again, he eyed the clock than the buldge in his denim and Dean decided that he would use the rest of the night for sleeping purposes. Gripping the sheets of the bed he pulled until they were off the mattress.

Throwing them into the closest corner he let himself fall onto the comfortable soft rectangle stuffed with feathers probably. Dean had to smile but frowned immediately.

_I'm smiling too much, lately... somehow_. Rolling over he placed his gaze on the bathroom door. Listening to the shower, he did not notice his eyes falling shut.

When Castiel returned from the shower he found a sleeping and low snoring Dean Winchester on the bed. The angel tilted his head.

Walking closer he could see the hunters expression. All the deep creases on the others forehead were gone. Most of the wrinkles had softened. Sitting down on the edge of the bed Castiel kept watching the hunter sleep, curiously.

Of course, he had done it countless times before, but this time was different. Different in a way he was not able to define, but he knew! The angel's lips curled up a little, as if he was smiling.

Actually, he was. When Castiel noticed, his smile grew.

It was around three-ish in the morning when Sam returned. He had spent all night speaking with the archangel. Mostly, their discussion was about angels, the rules they had to obey and their hierarchy.

Now, he was wiser in those regards, but it had not helped him much to figure how all of this would help his brother and the angel. At least, he could understand Castiel a little better.

He could not believe Gabriel helping him out after what had happened in the Mystery Spot and TV-Land.

However, there was one thing both, he and Gabriel, had agreed upon: Castiel's aggressive behavior! The conclusion was that he had to remind Dean to be a little gentler to their angelic friend before he probably ripped his head off.

Nevertheless, when he had arrived at the motel and opened the door to their room he was quite surprised to see the angel sitting, peacefully, at the edge of Dean's bed, watching him sleep. Castiel had turned his head only to see who was entering the room, but brought his attention quickly back to the eldest Winchester.

Sam had just frowned. Something was odd, but it was way too late to bother with it. He would ask when he was awake and alive again. Without even brushing his teeth or showering he fell onto his bed and drifted into sleep.

It had been a very long and exhausting day.

The Winchester's 'next morning'

The next morning arrived pretty eventless. Both Winchesters had slept until twelve o'clock. When Sam had awoken, his brother was still sleeping and Castiel was where he had been sitting when he came back.

The younger Winchester had crawled out of bed and into the bathroom. He still felt bad after all the sweets Gabriel had forced him to eat. He sure had some kind of sugar intoxication, if Sam would make an educated guess.

When the hunter had finished business in the bathroom, he was not surprised to see his brother rolled up in the trench coat of the angel. Sam frowned. He had not noticed the missing sheets on his brother's bed.

"What happened to the sheets and the blanket?"

"Got dirty." Castiel deadpanned. The Winchester simply nodded understandingly even though he did not understand. At least, he did not even want to!

"Hey... Cas. How you doin'? Feeling good?" This time Castiel turned his head towards the younger hunter, staring holes into him.

After a while the angel nodded.

"Yes, Sam. I am... good." The hunter doubted that Castiel had understood that reference but he had made it clear that he did not want to talk to him.

Therefore, Sam would leave it.

He walked over towards his duffle bag.

"Hey, you should wake him up. I'll see if I get a table for breakfast." Sam smiled meekly before he rushed out of the room. Castiel simply frowned before his attention was back on the sleeping man.

He had had some time thinking about their discussion.

The only conclusion he was able to come up with was, that Dean Winchester was the cause of his problems and that yesterday's argumentation had been useless since he had not obtained the answers he was searching for.

Castiel touched the hunters shoulder and shook it slightly. Dean started out of sleep, his hand moving under the pillow towards his gun but was stopped by a stronger hand.

"You won't need your gun, Dean." The Winchester's eyes followed the trail of the arm until he found two bright blue eyes looking down at him. His heart skipped a beat due to this intense gaze.

"Hello, Dean." Castiel said patiently, like he always did, when the hunter saw him.

"Cas?" The angel nodded and stood up giving the hunter more space.

"Sam wants you to wake up and follow suit to have breakfast." While the angel continued talking, Dean was rather busy wondering how this very angel's trench coat landed on him.

"Cas? Did you cover me up with this?" he asked and earned just another nod.

_What the hell's wrong now?_ Dean narrowed his eyes, there was definitely something odd. "You threw away the blanket after... that incident. I believe people prefer covering themselves with something during their sleep. Since Sam had returned around three this morning I considered using the overcoat to make it more comfortable."

Dean's eyes narrowed a little more. The way the angel described what had happened between them made him suspicious.

"Cas?"

The hunter stretched out his hand waiting for the angel to grab it, but he did not. Castiel stayed put where he was. The Winchester stood up holding the tan trench coat in his hands, feeling the raw fabric before handing it to Castiel.

Without another word he walked into the bathroom to wake up completely. In the meanwhile, Castiel put on the coat, turning his back towards the door where the hunter had disappeared behind. He wrinkled his nose about the scent. All he could smell was the hunter. Feeling something stir up in his stomach he held his breath and shut his eyes. The feeling subsided slowly.

"Cas?"

The angel startled and turned around. He had not noticed the hunter coming out of the little room again. With a toothbrush in his mouth Dean stepped closer.

"Ya al'ight?" he asked and received a fast nodding from the angel. Displeased, he turned around and continued his morning session.

Twenty minutes later, Dean was sitting at a table, on the opposite side of his brother, glaring holes into his burger and bacon.

When Sam had asked about Castiel, Dean had shrugged it off, saying that the angel had disappeared without any words.

He skipped the part about his thoughts regarding Castiel's reserved behavior. The question about 'any unusual moments' while his younger brother was gone, Dean denied. He still could not believe that it actually really happened.

An angel of the Lord, such a mighty entity, was being teased by a mere human. Unfortunately, Dean did not feel that proud of it anymore. It was more the contrary, he felt like he had done something wrong.

_You have friggin' corrupted an angel, Winchester,_ his head spit out at him. It could be said that Dean Winchester was not feeling well right now.

Forty minutes later, both hunters were back on the road. The black Impala shot down the highway, heading towards Sioux Falls.

Time of arrival: somewhat in the afternoon!

"What took ya so lon' ya idjits?" These were the first words Bobby welcomed the two brothers at his house with. It had been a while since they had seen each other in person and seeing the old man, still wheelchair-bound, was a happy and sad moment at the same time. "Well, we..." Sam started but was immediately cut off.

"Get your asses in here before I change my mind." the old hunter said and turned the wheelchair around. The Winchesters exchanged looks and smiled before they followed Bobby.

Everything looked pretty much the same as the last time they left him. The dust had grown a few layers maybe, but everything else was the same even the smell. They could call this place a home and the mere thought brought them to smile cheerfully.

Bobby grumbled something into his beard, rolled towards his huge desk, grabbing a bottle in the process and poured its content into a mug.

Dean made himself at home and placed his butt onto the couch close-by while his younger brother set down his bag on a nearby chair. He cleared his throat.

"Got any visitors lately?" Sam scouted the area and moved past the old man, glancing into each room.

"Visitors? What'cha talkin' 'bout?" Bobby took a long sip from the mug and refilled it right away while his eyes followed the young hunter.

"Like... black suited demons?" Sam finished his search without any results and leaned himself against the doorframe of the living room.

"He's sayin': did Crowley's ass show up in here lately." Dean was not in the mood to beat around the bush especially not with that specific demon.

He had promised to smite that bastard for not telling them the cure for his brother was trickling into the soil without them noticing.

"Pft. No. That bastard won't dare to take one step in 'ere again." the old hunter said and took another long sip from his mug.

"I wonder why you're always so grumpy." A voice, followed by dull, slow steps appeared in the entrance of the living room.

Bobby choked on his drink and started to cough violently.

"Speakin' of the devil and the vermin makes its entrance!" The eldest Winchester glared at the demon and slid his hand down towards his waist.

"Hello there boys and pa." Crowley playfully vowed towards the old man in the wheelchair. "Nice to see, you're not playin' dead already." he continued and took his time to share views with every hunter for a few seconds, lingering a few more seconds on the youngest hunter. "Lookin' good Sam. Last time I saw you, you seemed a bit dry." Dean rose to his feet and reached for his colt.

"Enough of the small talk." A long sigh escaped the demon.

"Fine. If you insist." The demon buried his left hand into his pockets, staring at the hunter with a blank expression.

"I've come to take your little angel. It's time for my special favor. Would you be so kind and call him for me? I'm in a bit of a hurry." Crowley said cheerfully, reaching out towards the nearby sitting hunter.

"Like I would do anything like that. I won't hand him to you like some piece of commodity!" Dean's finger brushed over the trigger of his colt.

He wanted the demon to be gone and not come back anytime soon.

Another, this time, frustrated sigh dripped from the demon's lips and he pulled his head backwards.

"I would call him myself if I'd knew the number. We had a deal and I fulfilled my part of it. All that's left is yours or let's say, his."

"So what?" The eldest Winchester lifted his arm a bit but when a sudden sound of wings was hearable, he lowered it again.

"Dean." Castiel's voice was strong and as emotionless as always, it sent a shiver down the hunter's spine.

"He's right. It was my decision to agree to his conditions. We saved your brother and I will do what he wants me to." The angel turned his head towards the hunter, searching for understanding, but all he found was distrust and anger.

"That's what I like about your kind! Always abiding." The black suited demon grinned victorious.

"Come now. We're leaving. I dislike standing in an open place like this." Crowley continued, looking around like something could jump on him in the next second and waved to Castiel a bit.

Dean moved forward, nearly trying to protect and prevent whatever the demon wanted from him.

"We'll come with ya. There's no way I'll leave him alone with you Crowley!" Dean was not sure why, but he felt he should not let the angel go on his own. Never trust a demon!

"I'm sorry but I have to insist that he comes alone. It's all about privacy you know?"

"I don't give a fuck! I said he's not goin' with ya, alone." Dean repeated himself and wanted to continue to curse the demon, when he felt a firm grip on his arm.

"Enough." Castiel had stepped forward, sending a blank glare towards the hunter before he turned the attention to the, now happy smiling demon.

"C'mon darlin', we've got some business to do." he said, burying his hands into his pockets and turned around like he was actually walking away.

Castiel took a few steps towards Crowley, waiting for him to lead the way to wherever the demon wanted to go.

"Cas! He's a demon goddammit! He can't be trusted!" Dean tried to stop him again by grabbing his coat, forcing the angel to turn around again and received another stare but this time, Castiel shut him up with his eyes only.

Blue fire was burning directly into the hunter's soul.

The oldest Winchester knew he could not say anything else anymore.

He had lost this conversation, but still, he kept staring at those blue eyes in front of him for another moment.

"You guys are breaking my heart. I promise you get your love back in one piece. Nothing important will be missing." Crowley could not suppress a sweet poisonous smile and moved his eyebrows upwards, when Dean's expression darkened even more.

This behavior was way too obvious for him.

"Now c'mon." Crowley said, a bit of annoyance lingering in his voice and waved his hand at the angel. The Winchester knew, it was a stupid idea, but the stubborn angel would not listen to him.

Seconds later, they were gone, leaving an angry and two confused hunters behind.

Sending silent curses towards the disappeared duo, Dean placed his colt back into his belt and turned towards his brother, who had kept quiet the whole time, but stared at him with an amused and annoyed smile on his lips.

"Could you stop acting like that? It's freakin' me out when you're so overprotective. He's a goddamn angel. He can look out for himself Dean." Sam tried to cheer his brother up by taunting him but in truth, he did not know what to make out of the demon either.

Whatever it was, it could not be good.

Someplace 'safe'

Castiel was waiting patiently for the black suited demon.

After Crowley had lead him to a small shed he had disappeared again, saying he needed something else. It took him only a few seconds before the demon had shown up again, carrying four bigger jars of glass.

Castiel's expression stayed the same. He did not want to show any emotion, any confusion or doubt. He tensed his muscles and nodded toward the jars.

"What do you need them for?" he asked the demon, receiving a meaningful smile.

"Don't worry about them. Anyway, let's get started, shall we?" Crowley waved his hand pointing at a wooden chair.

"Have a seat, will ya!" the demon's voice was calm and polite, but it still sounded like a command.

Castiel frowned but walked over and sat down, his eyes resting on the demon.

Crowley narrowed his eyes and folded the arms across his chest. Even the angel saw that the demon disliked something about this situation.

Then, Crowley raised his index finger and nodded.

"I think it's better if you take off your coat. Don't wanna have stains on it, afterwards, right?" The demon's smile was back on his lips when he walked over to a small table with all sorts of catheters, cannula and syringes.

Still aware of the angel's gaze he spoke.

"I'm going to ask for some blood of yours. I'd like to keep my ass save, therefore I have to keep the angels away." A rustling behind him indicated that Castiel had taken off his coat. "Roll up your sleeves, darlin'."

Castiel glared at the demon, but did as he was told. He did not want to be here, but he had promised and he would never break a promise.

"How much will you need?"

"As much as you can spare." Crowley replied and waited until the angel was done.

"I doubt you've done this before, have ya?" Castiel shook his head and watched the other man wrapping an elastic band around his biceps, clamping his arteries and veins.

"Well, darlin'..." he told the angel.

"I will clamp the blood flow in your arm, then, I'll use a cannula and a catheter to let your blood, or better, your vessel's blood flow into those jars." He tilted his head toward the jars. "It will take a while. The composition of the blood is the same for all humans, but some have different amounts of different components.

However, usually humans might feel a little dizzy and suffer from fatigue, but since you're an angel, I doubt you will!"

Castiel nodded understandingly.

"If this is all you need, take it."

"That sounds just great, darlin'." Crowley replied and positioned the sharp cannula over the blue line on the angel's wrist.

Accurately, he stabbed through the thin flesh.

A surprised but painful hiss escaped the angel's throat which earned him a confused glance. "Don't you tell me that hurt!" he asked and his smile turned into a smug grin.

"It is unpleasant." Castiel deadpanned, not aware that he had answered the demon's question with a 'yes'. Crowley pressed the cannula further into the vein watching the angel's face carefully.

It took Castiel much more of his strength to not show any sign of pain crossing his expression.

With another smile Crowley released the elastic band from the angel's biceps and rubbed his hands together.

"Now, we just need to wait." he told the other man cheerfully. In the meanwhile, Castiel watched as his blood filled the catheter and was flowing into the first jar.

"Oh and... don't move a muscle." Crowley smiled and sat down on another chair next to the angel, turning his attention toward a rather old television, pressing the remote.

He cocked his brows and grimaced.

"Seriously? What is this? What's so fascinating about vampires? They don't sparkle and werewolves certainly don't explode in the air while turning. They don't even turn into some furry and fluffy little dogs!"

He turned his head toward Castiel who was not quite sure whether the demon was making fun of him or not.

Apparently, Crowley saw his thoughts written all over his face because he said.

"Just ignore this. See it as some kind of merciful blood donation. You can't do anything, anyway and I mean to know that you're not very familiar with human behavior. Perhaps we should use the next couple of hours to enlighten you." Castiel tilted his head.

"I don't understand the necessity of that, Crowley. I remember the history of this world quite well." The demon shook his head.

"That's not what I'm talking about. I mean personal variance among the humans. Let's go through the channels and check out some shows, movies, soaps, porn and some other stuff."

With this, a long and very uncomfortable evening started.

Crowley forced the angel to watch several shows, from drama to exciting and thrilling action. He showed him adventure movies and comedy but also documentary shows and porn. Castiel had kept silent all the time and simply stared at the screen, watching everything very carefully, like a child.

It was only of marginal interest that Crowley changed the jars every now and then until he started to feel a little light headed.

For a moment, he had closed his eyes to force the feeling back down.

He would not let himself be weak in front of a demon!

Unfortunately, the feeling got worse with the time and already after the third jar Castiel felt the need to rest his head onto his palm, supporting his elbow on his thigh.

He felt dizzy now, his sight got blurry every now and then and he felt tired. Crowley just grinned about the angel's behavior.

He knew exactly what it meant, but he still could not quite believe it, though. Apparently, the angel got affected by the blood loss.

Sipping on his drink he swapped the third jar with the last one.

"You look a little pale, darlin'. You sure you alright?" Castiel closed his eyes one more time before he nodded weakly.

"Yes." the angel lied.

It took another half an hour to fill the last jar up.

When Crowley withdrew the cannula and put it back onto the table he told the angel "You know. Humans can only spare up to one and a half litre of blood before its getting life threatening." Crowley looked at the filled jars with full joy when he continued.

"You donated more than 2 litre, I'd guess it's more than two and a half. How do you cope with that?" When Castiel saw the smug grin on the demon's face he knew instantly that he had been fooled. He rose to his feet and started to stagger immediately.

"You better sit down again. Moving won't make it better." Crowley suggested amused. Castiel's sight got completely blurry and he started to see white and black spots.

Holding his head the angel stepped back. It took him all of his strength and concentration to spread his wings and leave the place.

Back at Bobby's

Dean refused to settle down even though Sam and Bobby had tried to take off his mind from their angelic friend. Sam had finally given up and decided it was better to leave his brother alone in his rampage.

While he and Bobby tried to search for another possibility to get a hold of Lucifer's ass, Sam mentioned the lately occurring invasions in his dreams in between, receiving an annoyed huff from the older hunter.

He could not understand why any angel would choose these two dumbags as their destined vessels. It made no sense to him but who was he to even waste time to think about angels?

The first time he met Castiel, he thought the brother's were joking but now, he would not even wonder for a second if a rainbow farting unicorn would jump through his window and puked fairies on his carpet.

Everything was possible these days!

The older Winchester eventually had enough from walking endless circles through Bobby's living room and sat down on the couch next to the big desk where his brother and his old friend were focusing on an old article from the newspaper of 1876.

Whatever could be so interesting about it, he did not care.

How could everyone be so calm anyway and why was he not calm too? He drummed his fingers on his leg for a few more moments, while the clock on the wall ticked louder and louder. It was just his imagination, but everything annoyed him in here. He had to leave or something had to break.

"I'm outta here." he mumbled and stood up from the couch again and turned towards the exit, earning a surprised look from his brother.

"Where're you going? Castiel will probably come back here so what's the point of leaving?" Bobby rolled his eyes at the young hunter's comment.

"If he needs fresh air or a kick against some old wrecks, let him go damnit." Dean stopped his motion and glared back at his brother. He wanted to hurt him for his stupid remark, but instead his eyes went wide.

Wings!

The sound of wings, shortly followed by the smashing sound of glass and wood breaking apart was interrupting the silence.

Bits of glass covered the couch and the carpet, where Castiel had arrived, clutching himself before he unfurled and looked up.

"Cas?" the hunters yelled in unison and ran towards the crashed angel, who was covered in shattered glass and wooden splinters. Bobby stared at his window, which had been broken rather often lately, but every time it did, his mood went down the sewer.

"I'm... uh sorry. I didn't mean to..." Castiel tried to get up from the ground again but fell down right away. The two brothers grabbed him by the shoulders and helped him to stand up from the ground.

"I told him it was a bad idea to leave right away." Dean narrowed his eyes as the familiar voice of the black suited demon appeared behind them and turned his head around.

"What the hell did you...?"

"Don't gimme that look. He won't die, probably. Don't worry. Also, he forgot that." Crowley cocked his head in amusement and threw a folded tan piece of cloth towards the hunter.

"It was a pleasure to do business with you. We might repeat that sooner or later." His gaze turned towards the old man in his wheelchair, who was still staring unamused at his window.

"I'll see ya soon."

The demon was gone before Bobby even had the time to shoot at him once. He would kill that bastard one day for sure. In the meantime, Sam had removed the broken glass bits from the couch and helped his brother to carry the weak angel over.

Castiel's skin was way too pale, even for him.

"Now tell me again it's a good idea to trust demons." Dean was still raging but the sight in front of him turned his anger into worry.

Sam went to look for something to cover the angel and returned shortly with a thin blanket. Even though it was warm outside Castiel shivered slightly.

He turned his head to the eldest Winchester earning a concerned but angry glare.

"Hey, talk to me. Dammit! Cas..." the hunter spit out when the always so bright shining blue eyes became glassy and were shut.

"Cas?"

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffhanger? Oh...really?<strong>

**Stay tuned for next chapter!**

**Let's play tag, do you hear the voices in your head?**


	14. Let's play tag

**Ladies and other...people...reading this.  
><strong>

**We present you chapter 14! Finally.  
>Please lower your torches and pitchforks!<br>**

**New chapter new job new confusion.**

**Enjoy  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>14. Let's play tag<strong>

Ready for round two?

He stared at the sleeping form in front of him. Dean was not sure which emotion deserved to be punched in his face first, but he knew he could not fight them all at once. Castiel was back, alive and overall he seemed fine.

Just exhausted from whatever the demon had done to him. Sam had noticed the punctures on the angel's wrist and used his skill to solve riddles and shared his thought on what probably had happened.

The older Winchester did not care. All he knew was that Castiel never had slept in the whole time he knew him and the sight of him not faking sleep but sleeping for real scared him. He did not tell anyone, but he knew it and it pissed him off even more.

The night had fallen upon them and Dean had placed himself in front of the angel, observing him as if something would come and snatch the angel away again. He would not let that happen again.

No way! His arms crossed over his chest, he kept glaring holes into the couch and the figure hidden under the blanket, waiting for him to wake up or for himself to surrender to his own weariness.

He tried to stay awake though and started to whip back and forth with the chair, nearly losing his balance when the sound of a rustling fabric was hearable.

"Cas?"

The only answer he got was a low moan and the shadowy figure started to move even more.

The angel tried to sit up properly, but his strength had not fully returned yet and he still felt weak after all.

It was a feeling he never thought he would experience in his existence. Dean forced himself to stay calm and not start to ask questions right now, but he reached out for the angel and patted his shoulder.

"Seems you should rest some more." he added and kept his hand on Castiel's shoulder, before that very angel turned away in a slow move, facing the couch and presenting his back to the hunter.

Since Bobby and Sam had used a thick blanket to cover the broken window Dean could not see much except the dark form of the angel, but it was enough, though.

Still, he could not understand the reaction and tried to reach out again and turn the angel towards him.

"What's wrong? You've been acting like that all day." Once more the sound of a shifting body occurred and he could make out that the angel was lying on his back again.

"Everything." Castiel's voice was barely enough to make it through to the hunter.

"Come again?"

Dean leaned a bit closer when the angel spoke up again, this time his volume was above adequate.

"Everything has changed! I can't return to my brothers and sisters. I can't return to my home and the worst part of it, I don't even know if what I call home is still there. I doubt! My first mistake on this planet. Those feelings... the pain. Emotions I never thought could affect me. They come and go and I don't even understand their purpose! I'm tired! An angel doesn't feel tired, Dean!"

Castiel pushed himself up weakly, but his own weight brought him down immediately and he huffed with exertion.

"But I think I found the reason for everything. It's all because of you! You have no idea what it feels like to give up everything you knew and loved." he continued and turned his gaze from the hunter to an invisible spot in the lurking darkness behind the hunter's head.

"I loved my father and I still do. I couldn't see the reason for all this. Why he did not interfere. But I think I finally understand that reason too. He doesn't care and he doesn't want to care anymore, so why should I care? I don't know what I am doing here anymore. Why am I still present and alive when my existence seems to have no meaning? My life was lead by orders. It had a direction and I followed whatever my superior told me."

Another sigh escaped him while the hunter kept staring at him in silence.

"Millennia after millennia I blindly followed and vowed to someone I never even saw once. But I loved my father because his love was spreading among each of us, but now, I don't know if it was really him or just the belief that he was there all the time."

Castiel turned his head away and faced the backrest of the couch. At least that piece of old interior would understand anything he was saying.

"Maybe he left us alone long before we even noticed. It's past. It can't be helped, we will never know." He made a pause before he decided to look at the hunter again.

It was way too dark to figure the human's expression out, but he could at least hear that the rate of the others breathings had increased slightly. He was angry for sure.

"I can't expect you to understand how it feels like, to be nothing but a tool. I let myself down to this and I should feel regret, but I don't. I feel nothing but this gnawing tired feeling that tries to push my conscience into a dark pit of nothingness and the best thing about it, I don't want to fight back." Castiel's voice broke at the end of his speech.

The anger and frustration from the beginning turned into something else. A new emotion and another one he despised. Sorrow!

No, it was more like sadness, if he remembered that one right. He knew that the hunter would probably start to shout at him each second. Pointing out how wrong he was and how everything would turn out just fine.

Everything was a lie and everything was false hope. At this point he knew it. There was nothing they could do.

It was simply hopeless, but Dean Winchester would make it better for sure.

"You're right."

The low voice of the hunter cut through the silence and the angel's eyes widened in disbelieve.

"I don't know how it feels, sure." A sarcastic snicker followed his sentence and he shook his head.

_Like our father was always around, but that sure is different_, he thought and cleared his throat. The mere amount of words that the angel had spit out made him feel way too happy than they should have.

The angel, Castiel, had spoken and that was all that mattered to him for now.

"You wanna know my reason for not giving up and talkin' the crap you did just now? It would be great if I could say my strong belief in the good things of this world would keep me goin' but if the world wants to end I couldn't probably stop it, but I sure know what I can do: I protect the people who don't deserve to die in a war between good and evil. I try to protect as many as I can, but sometimes, I have to admit to myself that I can't save them all so I tried to lower my intents. I fight for the people I care about and I won't let them die on me. I keep waking up and breathing each day until some crazy-mutant-ninja-killer-barbie-vampire will snatch my life away, but I won't stop to try and protect them 'til I breathe my last. I will fight whatever crawls out of hells pit or falls from heaven. Demons, angels, I don't give a fuck anymore. If it bleeds you can kill it. One thing I taught Sammy and my father taught me."

The Winchester made a pause and smiled to himself at the memory of his father trying to teach him the rules of this world.

He shook his head and looked up again, trying to use the bit of light in the room to make out Castiel's face.

"You know Cas, every person who keeps walking around with me has a rather high death ratio and everyone I care about died so far. Even my own brother." A heavy sigh escaped the hunter and he closed his eyes for a short moment before he continued.

"Sure, I don't know anything about those newly discovered feelings you're haunted by. At first I was glad to see you act a little more human and not like a bland doll sent from heaven anymore, but now..." Dean furrowed his brows in deep concern and stared straight into the others face which was still partly hidden in the dark.

"Back then I didn't need to worry about you getting hurt 'cause I knew you as an angel wouldn't even feel pain and just heal your vessel's body afterwards. Now it's different. Every time I see you bleeding, it reminds me that becoming more human also means you're getting closer to death. That thought never crossed my mind before. Seeing an angel die numerous times is fine, but I never thought you could die, too."

Something in his stomach curled up as he continued to speak. It was not a pleasant feeling to share his thoughts with the angel but he had no choice.

"You see, the list of people I try to protect has increased by one. One more to worry about! Like I wouldn't worry about pretty enough but it's fine. I know you're still capable of defending yourself, maybe not right now, but when you're recovered you can beat the shit outta me again. I'm sure of that!"

A cheerful smile had forced itself up onto the hunter's face even though he felt like he wanted to crawl towards the bathroom and puke into the holy toilet bowl.

"Yeah I surely have no idea what I'm talking about and of course I don't know how you feel." he said and finished his own speech before he let his head sink to wait for something the angel would say in return, but all he could hear were broken little gasps followed by heavy breathings.

Dean did not need to see to know what was going on.

The angel experienced another unwelcome emotion and he knew that one since he always tried his best to swallow and push it down. Mostly successful, but sometimes even he failed.

Talking was useless now.

He leaned closer, his instinct guiding him, and placed his lips on Castiel's forehead for a moment before he wandered down and repeated his action on the others lips.

When words of comfort failed, he could always express himself in other ways.

As he removed himself again, he thought it had been a mistake, but when he heard the rustling of the blanket he knew it had not.

Castiel managed to sit up a bit and moved back to create enough space for the hunter to join him on the couch. With silent understanding, Dean stood up from the chair and sat down on the couch before he leaned backwards, taking the angel with him in the process.

Placing the others head on his chest and holding the angel in a firm embrace, he could listen to his slowly fading gasps, which started to turn into a normal slow breathing again.

"He'll be fine, right?" The voice of his younger brother emerged from the entrance of the living room, but Dean was not in the mood to answer properly.

"Fuck off Sammy." the hunter simply said and did not even turn his head around. Sam grinned a little and continued his walk, leaving his older brother and his angel alone for the rest of the night.

Dean had eventually fallen asleep after Castiel's breaths became steady, telling him the angel was finally sleeping again. When he opened his eyes the next morning, he was lying on the couch. Alone! The angel was gone again and the trench coat, which Dean had hung over his chair had disappeared too.

e hated to admit it but, falling asleep with the angel was something he somewhat got used to and waking up, knowing there was someone with him, seemed to be a normal thing now. Waking up alone this time just felt wrong.

Actually he could not believe it, after last night. Dean growled dangerously deep within his throat and got up. In less than a millisecond his senses had gotten alarmed and his mood had dropped deeper than hell!

"That... angel..." he hissed low and stomped into the kitchen.

"Bobby? Sam? Where the hell is everyone?"

Cursing, the older Winchester turned on his heel and stomped out of the room heading towards the only closed door to the small study. Opening the door he found his brother, talking to the older hunter. Entering, the hunter faked a smile.

"What you doing? You've seen angel-boy?" Straight to the point, that was Dean Winchester!

Bobby granted him a glance before he turned his attention back to his beloved old and dusty book while Sam got up and smiled cheerfully.

"Yeah, we're good." he replied, aware that he had not answered his brother's second question. Dean's brows moved upwards, still waiting for his baby brother to continue, but when there was nothing more, the older brother snorted displeased.

"What?" Sam shrugged before he replied.

"Nothing, just wondering since when you're snuggling?" From behind both men could hear the older hunter bark out a laugh.

"Our prince is becoming a princess." The older Winchester's head snapped around, glaring holes into his daddy substitute while Sam simply started laughing.

"What? You tellin' me I become girlish?" Dean stuttered, almost choking at his tongue.

"This is biologically impossible, Dean. Men cannot change their gender." The hunter did not even have to turn around when he heard the fluttering sound of wings.

He knew this sound and right the fuck now he did not want to hear it!

Slowly, he turned around. His expression a mix of anger and embarrassment. He could feel the heat rising up and turn his color into a dark shade of red. Opening his mouth, Dean tried to make some kind of sound but he failed, not knowing what actually to say. Castiel was helping out when he said.

"Hello, Dean." All the anger vanished with those two words spoken by a fallen angel of the Lord. Looking into those blazing blue eyes calmed him down. He could actually not believe it.

"Hey, get a room you two, or stop undressing each other with your eyes, would you? Now, Cas, what did you get?" Bobby held out his hand, waving into the direction of the angel who responded immediately.

Handing over a small book he stopped right next to the old man.

"It was where you said it would be. They have filled all accidents in it which occurred within the last 5 weeks."

Bobby flicked through the pages, scanning every single one of them while he nodded in agreement.

"Sam? Take a look at that!" Sam rushed over to the table, leaving his brother stay put. _What the hell...?_ Dean turned around watching the three men.

He even caught himself looking at certain parts he was not supposed to look at. Lowering his gaze, Dean cleared his throat.

"You guys need any help? By whatever you're doing right now?" Three heads turned around not responding in any kind of way.

"Well, I'll just leave you guys then. Enjoy... whatever it is you're doing."

With that, Dean left the small room. If they did not need him for whatever they were doing, he could easily find himself occupied with something he was good in: getting his gorgeous baby ready for the street by checking every part of her.

This would certainly distract him from other thoughts about some stupid angel!

Everything had worked out differently than Dean had actually imagined. He had not been able to check the spark plugs or clean the rims.

The only thing that actually had happened was him hitting his head on the hood after checking the engine.

He simply was not able to get his head off what had happened last night.

His brain was urging him to remember every tiny bit Castiel had said or done. Or looked like! Oh yes, Dean could not get that picture out of his head anymore.

Like so many other events it had burned itself into his memory. He had never seen the angel so human. And the hunter disliked it.

This was not supposed to be. This was not normal.

Those two things had come into his mind when he had seen the celestial being standing in front of him in Bobby's living room.

Now, the hunter was sitting on the hood of his beloved car, a bottle of beer in his hand, thinking.

The knowledge of having kissed a celestial entity still felt strange but it did not creep him out as much as it was supposed to be.

_What a weird angel_, Dean thought, smiling slightly.

Moving his gaze over the place he already knew by heart, the older Winchester startled when he noticed the reason of his very problems standing right beside him, quiet and observing. Swearing, Dean slid down the hood, putting a few feet between him and the angel.

He tried to calm his heart down as he spoke.

"Dammit, Cas. Personal space! How often do I have to tell you that?" Dean knew, it was a lie, but he felt completely caught off guard and he knew, he had to hide those thoughts in case some random trench coat wearing angel would try to read his mind again.

Apparently, Castiel had not done so because he had lowered his gaze, staring down onto the ground.

"I apologize. Currently, I am very confused regarding the meaning of certain actions. Especially yours." Dean moved his brows upwards in surprise.

"Never mind!" Waving his head, the hunter walked over to the utility table dropping himself onto the edge of it.

Waiting for the other one to speak up both men remained quiet until the atmosphere became so tense, it was unbearable for the hunter and he raised his voice.

"So, what's up?" "The ceiling." Castiel's matter of factly respond was something that caused a smile onto the hunter's expression.

"Very well. Anyway, what were you guys doing? With all those books and stuff, I mean? You shouldn't be moving around. You've lost quite an amount of blood."

"Bobby has found some proof for a possible hunt for you. He has collected information about killings in a nearby city." The hunter nodded understandingly.

"What about you? You've been flying out, haven't you?" The angel nodded.

"Yes, I have been asked by Bobby to gather all the reports about the happenings."

Dean pushed himself from the table, the bottle still in his hand.

With the other he made a fluid motion of some 'plain' taking off.

"And you just flew out to grab him what he needed, huh?"

"Yes. If you ask me for something I do it as well. I believe it would be the same with Bobby." Castiel tilted his head in this specific manner that always indicated his confusion about something.

"What did you expect me to do, Dean? I believe that you have a reason for asking me those questions." After a long sip, the hunter threw the bottle into the bin next to the table and stepped closer. _Dammit stupid angel_.

"You've lost a lot of blood and you're thinking you can keep jumping around after that? Seriously? If I didn't know better, I would have said you're still some powerful angel but you're not. Christ, you're friggin' losing your mojo, stop hopping around as if nothing happened, goddammit!"

The moment Castiel's body tensed up Dean knew he had offended the angel with his words. They were the truth, though!

When Castiel stepped closer and into the Winchester's so cherished personal space, blue met green and set loose a fierce battle of silence.

At the same time someplace else

John got out of the car and headed towards his lovely family home, passing his front yard and the small freshly built fountain with birds spraying water from their tiny beaks.

The air was filled with the chirping of birds and a light warm breeze was welcoming the man. The sky was clear.

The moon had risen and stars were already visible. It was a perfect end of the day and a perfect life, with a perfect home and a perfect family.

_Just perfect_. He listened to his feet scrunching over the pebbles, while he kicked a few bigger stones in front of him out of his way.

A heavy sigh escaped him as he reached out for the door handle and entered his house.

The familiar smell of the freshly cooked meal crawled up his nose and lingered on his tongue, promising the taste of whatever the woman of his children had prepared.

It had been a long, exhausting day but he had to work hard to keep his family in the upper class and pay the bills and the house.

His wife was busy keeping her eye on the newborn. _Another mouth to feed, great John._

As he closed the door he noticed the sound of heels.

_I told you to not wear them in the kitchen._ The clicking of heels got faster and closer.

"Hey honey! How was your day?" The warm voice of a woman was hearable from the kitchen and shortly after, he could catch a sight of her, walking towards him and cleaning her hands with a green towel.

John kept staring at her until she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a soft peck on the cheek.

"Dinner is ready and Danny has good news! He didn't wanna tell me before you'd arrive. So let's hurry up! I'm burning to know what it is!"

She let go of him and left him alone in the entrance. A smile forced its way up his lips until his cheeks started to hurt.

He did not care that much about it, not even when he felt an aching pain rise.

John followed his wife into the dining room. A big table with enough room for his family and a few more for visitors was decorated with candles and a huge amount of cutlery.

Way too much in his opinion, but his wife seemed to think good news needed that kind of decoration.

He stopped his movement in the doorframe and stared at the shiny knives and forks and spoons which surrounded the white plates.

Red napkins had been folded properly and were set right on top of them. _Such a useless waste of time_. John observed everything but had to stop when someone poked him in the back. "Daddy! You've gotta move!"

The high voice of his little girl appeared from behind, shortly followed by a snort.

"Yeah dad. Your in the way. Move it old man!" A high pitched giggle and a snicker later, John walked into the room and took a seat.

_Same place as every day and every week and every month and every year. _

"Daddy! Daddy! What's that in your hair? What's that in your hair?" The little girl jumped on his lap and reached out for his hair but he grasped her little hand before she could reach any further.

He tightened his grip a little too much and caused his daughter to shriek in pain and shock of the sudden treatment.

He let go of her immediately and she jumped off his lap, straight towards her mother.

"Mommy, Mommy!" His wife stared at him in confusion while she hugged her girl and observed her hand. No damage at all but the little girl was still close to tears.

"Geesh. John what's gotten into you? It's alright darling. Daddy is just a bit stressed from work today." The mother knelt down and kissed the little girls hand softly.

"There all better." she said and smiled cheerfully.

"You're a strong little girl right?"

"Yes mommy." A fast nod and a gleeful smile followed.

"I'm strong!" She jumped up and down and clapped her hands together before she took a seat close to her mothers.

John felt a strong hand on his shoulder and turned his head a bit to see his oldest son staring at him with a toothy smile.

"If you hear what happened today you'll gotta buy me a damn motorbike or maybe two!" his oldest said, confident as always and slightly disrespectful as always.

He took a seat right next to his father and pushed the napkin out of the way. Ready to get straight to the meat. The woman still observed her husband nervously.

She never had seen John hurting her daughter in any way.

Not even while he removed a band aid or anything. The girl was his little precious princess. It was unbelievable that anything at work could have upset her mate like this.

"Danny you have to wait. John. Let's do the grace." she whispered and folded her hands, while Danny grumbled since he already marked his piece of meat with his fork before he pulled back again, folding his hands but leaving his eyes open.

John took a look around. His perfect little family.

"Dear god, bless this wonderful cooking and bless the woman who..." John started, feeling calm again when suddenly somewhere from upstairs the scream of an infant was hearable and his wife startled from her seat. Ready to check on her child.

"Sit the fuck down Denna!" Freezing in her position, her eyes widened at the sudden outburst and it took her a few seconds to say something.

"Laslie is crying, John. I have to see what's wrong with him. I'll be right back" she said and stood up fully.

"I said." John started and smashed his fist onto the table hard enough to make his glass start shaking and fall over, pouring its content onto the white cloth.

"Sit the fuck down." he continued without looking up at her. His voice was filled with hatred and an abnormal cold presence.

It was just not her John. Not the man she married years ago. Not the man that walked out the door this morning who kissed her goodbye. This was not John.

"Danny. Could you take your sister upstairs? Your dad and I gotta talk." A fast nod and her son was up on his feet, but a strong hand grabbed his arm and pulled him down.

"I said: sit down. What part of 'sit down' didn't you get boy?" he hissed sharply and forced his boy back on his butt before he stood up himself.

Staring straight onto the sliced meat he repeated:

"Sit down Denna."

"But John I..." He moved around the table and grabbed his wife by her neatly tied up hair. A surprised scream followed by agony escaped her throat.

"John! You're hurting me! Let go! What's gotten into you?" She tried to free herself and reached backwards when she felt her husband push her head forward.

He smashed her face onto the white plate once, twice and as he threw her down a third time, the plate shattered and cut into Denna's cheek and forehead.

While he watched his kids ran off and up the stairs screaming, he kicked his stunned wife's chair, sending it to the ground with her before he reached towards the candle chandelier on the table.

Pushing a single finger against it and sending it down onto the beautiful deep blue dress Denna was wearing. John did not waste time and left the dining room, while the dark fabric started to catch fire.

His little princess was waiting for him and the little prince would stop screaming soon, too. With a soft smile on his lips, he made his way upstairs while his walk was accompanied with the sound of pure agony.

Later, on the road

Dean changed the tape in the cassette recorder. Sam had shown up in the garage to inform them what Bobby had in mind for them. Now, the brothers and the angel were sitting in the Black Impala heading towards Wayne for their next job.

Since Dean had revved the engine none had spoken a word. Sam kept himself busy staring out of the window and brooding about their current case.

He and Bobby had come to the conclusion that whatever was going on was supernatural! If people started to murder their beloved ones, there could not be any other option than demons, possession or dark magic being involved.

No way.

Whatever it was they would probably find answers soon enough. As long as they had not to deal with the devil himself, nothing worse could happen.

His thoughts got cut off when his brother suddenly turned the up radio and something he called _'music_' started to attack his ears.

"Dean! Seriously dude one day when we're old you'll be deaf!" Sam nearly screamed and reached forward to turn the volume down again.

An unamused snort was hearable before the older brother spoke up.

"If the predictions are correct, we won't be livin' long enough to get deaf. So stop whining Sammy."

Dean, nonetheless, did not turn up the volume again but instead, he glanced into the rearview mirror and observed whatever the angel was doing on the backseat.

Apparently, Castiel did nothing at all but when he felt the human's gaze on him he lifted his head and returned the look.

The hunter tried to focus on the street again, but found himself spying upwards again and again, waiting for the angel to say anything but he kept staring in silence.

A few more minutes passed before the oldest Winchester turned around completely to face the angel personally without a damn mirror between them.

"What?" he broke the silence and ignored the hands of his brother fumbling on his shoulder.

"Dean! You're driving goddammit!" Sam managed to pull the car over and prevented them from crashing into another bigger car.

"If you two have to stare at each other then let me drive! I'm not keen to die 'cause of your damn problems man."

Sam kept his hand on the wheel in case another car would approach them, but was pushed away by his brother, who finally turned his attention back to the street.

He knew that the situation was tense and the quietness of the angel made it worse. If there was tension, it had to be released and if his brother had to witness, fine, but he could not concentrate on this damn job nor could he concentrate on driving the damn car.

Crashing his baby would cause more pain than a broken nose, anyway.

"Hey Cas, why don't you go back to Bobby? Help him do some research or anything. We manage this on our own." he said and gripped the steering wheel tightly, causing his knuckles to turn white.

Sam threw his brother a '_what the hell dude_' look before he turned towards Castiel, who was still staring holes into the front seat emotionlessly. Right when he thought that the angel would not even respond to Dean's stupid idea, that very angel spoke up.

"I don't understand the point, Dean."

"The point is you're getting back to Bobby's and stay there." was the prompt answer from the oldest Winchester. _Seriously, we don't need you limping around and acting weird while we question the town's people, _he thought, but immediately reminding himself that he had chosen the wrong words.

Expecting to see an angry angel staring at him he took another glance in the mirror but was surprised by the calm expression of the angel.

"You told me to '_not fly around_' so much." Castiel raised his hands and marked the part of Dean's own words.

A deep growl formed in the hunter's throat and forced its way up.

"We're not that far away yet. It won't cost you much mojo to get back. Besides, it's not like you're helpful anyway!" _That's it, keep telling the broken that he's useless, great deal. _Dean shook his head and threw another glance towards the angel. Still nothing. Not even a furrowed brow. Castiel remained calm.

"Well I think it's a good idea to show Castiel how the job is done and how to get information. If we show him he can perform better next time.

It's not like you were born with the natural talent to act like an agent, Dean. Dad had to teach you too." Sam interfered and put on a cheery smile.

If his brother continued to talk like this they would end up in the roadside ditch eventually. When he peeked behind him, he observed the angel.

Castiel was still sitting in the middle of the backseat, no need for seat belts, his hands folded into each other and slightly bent forward. The younger hunter turned his gaze back to his brother, when the car was pulled over and came to a sudden hold. Earning a confused look from his brother, Dean got off the car.

He walked around it until he reached the backdoor and opened it.

"Out, now!"

When Castiel did not move the Winchester bent down to have a look onto the backseat but the angel was already gone.

"What is the purpose of your actions, Dean?" Castiel waited for Dean to close the door and turn around. Tilting his head the angel tried to understand the hunter's expression.

"My goddamn purpose is to get your ass back to Bobby's. I'm not letting you go with us on that hunt, Cas." _I won't let you get hurt!_

It would have been an understatement if one had said Dean was pissed. The last day had shown that Castiel was becoming more human and the hunter certainly disliked it! He could not cope with protecting another important person.

He already had to take care of Bobby and Sam and this was difficult since a lot of people tended to die lately. _Don't make it so hard, Cas, please_, Dean prayed in his thoughts, but the angel did not seem to notice even that.

Not a good sign!

The angel's voice pulled him back into reality.

"I don't want to stay at Bobby's, Dean. Why don't you understand such an easy thing? I'm going to stay!"

Apparently, Castiel had grown himself some balls, or he was just too damn stubborn. Whatever it was, Dean did not agree with it, not yet, at least.

"I said no, Cas. And this means you'll go back!"

"No."

The Winchester rolled his eyes. _C'mon, Cas, why do you force me to this?_ Despite the fact that part of him wanted to have the angel around, the remaining parts told him to put this little celestial being to safety.

Threateningly, Dean made a step forward, looking down at the smaller angel.

"You won't stay, Cas. End of discussion. Don't make me force you to leave."

"Make me!" was the dead panned respond and for a moment silence sneaked up between both men.

"Guys, stop this. Just get back in the car, jeez." was Sam's voice to be heard from behind. "Sam, this is none of your business, shut up." Dean commanded before he made another step forward.

"Cas, I'm warning you."

"Dean, nothing you say or do will change my mind. I am coming with you!" The hunter nodded understanding and bit onto his bottom lip before he drew his arm back, ready for the first blow on the angel.

Before he could land a hit on the other man, Castiel had moved to one side and kicked his knee into the Winchester's stomach.

The fast move caused Castiel to freeze for a moment and fight the upcoming dizziness. Closing his eyes for a second he did not see the fist rushing forward, hitting him directly on the nose.

Blood started to flow immediately and ran down the angel's lips and chin before it dropped onto the trench coat.

"You still wanna stay?"

"Yes." Dean barked out a laugh of disappointment. _As if a little punch would change his mind, great, Winchester! You're awesome_.

Dean rushed forward, aiming for the angel once more, but his strength was one thing that apparently was not yet affected by the loss of his mojo, as Dean had to find out mere seconds later.

With one hand Castiel countered the hunter's attack and smashed him onto the ground. He could feel a sharp pain running from his knee to his head, leaving a tingling feeling. Trying to stand up, Dean failed that attempt when he realized that the angel had pinned him down. Straddling him, Castiel watched Dean trying to free himself from the strong grip.

"Dean." The angel started but was interrupted by Sam.

"Wait until he has stopped fighting. He won't listen to you, Cas. He never does!" The younger Winchester smiled a sad smile while he waited that his brother stopped this ridiculous behavior. Castiel did as he was told. And a few moments later, Dean stopped, glaring at him and his brother alternately.

"Dean?" The hunter locked eyes with the angel. "Don't make me go back, Dean."

With this Castiel let go of the hunter and stood up. Sam and his brother did it likewise. "He stays with us Dean. Just accept it and drive!"

Wiping away a few more drops of blood, Dean glared holes into his younger brother's chest before he shrugged, causing him to hiss at the sudden pain and agreed with a "Fine!" before he nearly limped back towards the driver seat.

Right in front of it he could feel a hand on his left shoulder, taking the pain away, but when he turned around to stare angrily at the one who healed him, there was no one.

Turning his head around again, he noticed that Castiel was already back in the car, staring straight forward and ignoring the Winchester completely.

And so the fun ride continued.

Wayne County Sheriff Police Department 5

The door opened and a young woman stepped out. For one moment her gaze wandered through the room until she found what she was looking for: three men in suits, one with a tan trench coat. Walking closer, she started to speak.

"Welcome to the WCSPD 5, gentlemen. My name is Stacy. I'm the boss's secretary. He's awaiting you, please follow me!" Dean and his brother exchanged a quick look before they rose to their feet and followed the red haired very small woman.

Castiel followed suit. He and the older hunter had not spoken since their fight, but threw deadly glares at each other nonetheless.

It was needless to say that Sam was sick of it and the only thing he could do by now was being professional for three and ignore those kids.

Right now, they had worse problems than a little fight between his brother and the angel. There seemed to be something happening in this town.

Something that could not be explained with normal logic and the three men were there to solve the case. Just ten minutes ago they had introduced themselves as FBI investigating the killings. Castiel had caught the people's attention immediately what they dismissed as being some intern from the GBI.

Apparently, this answer had been satisfying since nobody bothered to ask them any more questions.

Followed by the three men, Stacy entered the Sheriff's office and introduced them.

"Hey, Nick, these gentlemen are Mr. Hetfield, Mr. Sambora and Mr. Walsh." She looked at Castiel and smiled supporting.

"Mr. Walsh is an intern, Nick. Don't be rude, yeah?"

With this, Stacy left the office but turned around one last time.

"Oh and, keep your hands off, will ya?"

"Yeah, I'll do my best, Sweetpie." Nick replied and waited for the woman to close the door before he looked at the men in front of him individually.

"Gentlemen, what can I do for you?"

"We're here for the killing. The husband kills family case!" The Sheriff nodded understanding.

"Yes, I know. That was unbelievable. This bastard killed every single one of them. And then..." Nick shook his head and stood up.

"I guess you wanna talk to him in private. I'll take you!" The man grabbed one file from his desk and stood up, crossing the room and opening the door. He smiled at Castiel before he spoke.

"So, let's get going." The hunters and the angel followed suit.

While walking towards the interrogation room Nick kept talking. Mainly to Castiel. Since he was an intern he figured it would be helpful to know a little more about police work. Meanwhile, Nick completely ignored the Winchesters what made both hunters quite uncomfortable.

And not because they feared Castiel would say something stupid.

When they finally arrived at the door separating them from John Meldon, the Sheriff stopped talking.

At last!

Dean already had started to wonder whether this man was breathing or not. Opening the door, he stepped aside.

"Gentlemen, he's all yours, now!" The older Winchester had to force himself to smile when he walked by the Sheriff. When Castiel followed he earned a friendly wink before the door was closed again.

The man sitting at the table did not bother to look up when the three men entered the room. He kept his gaze onto his hands. Sam and Dean exchanged a look before the younger hunter sat down and started to speak.

"John Meldon? My name is Sam, this is Dean and Cas. We're here because..."

"I don't care why you're here. Just leave me alone." John interrupted Sam with a loud yell. Now, it was Dean's turn.

"We're just here to find out what happened. No need to get all rude, man!" Finally, John looked up, directly into the older Winchester's eyes.

"You wanna find out what happened? I insulted, slapped, strangled and burned my wife, my little daughter, my sixteen year old son and the baby in my house after I have been promoted at work. That's what figgin' happened. Now get the fuck outta here, goddamit." Dean and his brother went silent, not sure what to say about that reply. "You have been in love with your wife." Castiel stated matter of factly and three pairs of eyes rested on him. One warning him to shut up but he continued, anyway. "Why would you want to kill something that you cherish more than your own life?"

A desperate laugh escaped John's throat.

"I dunno, man. I really don't. I guess, I just... snapped?" Tears started to run down the men's cheeks.

"It was just an ordinary day. I came home from work, Denna had already prepared lunch. I dunno what happened. I just thought it was too much. She annoyed me, my daughter's cries annoyed me, my son's stupidity and impoliteness and the baby..." Now, John was sobbing miserably.

"I don't know why, but I couldn't take it anymore. I just wanted it to stop."

"Did you notice anything unusual? The smell of rotten eggs, or flickering lights, anything?" The man stared at Dean like he was an alien.

"No, what are you? Crazy? You should get the fuck outta here. I don't need some suits acting all helpful when they actually make jokes about me." Sam started to calm the man's upcoming anger down.

"We're not intending to make any jokes about what happened. It is important to know about that."

"Get the fuck out... Sheriff, Sheriff." The door opened and Nick entered the room.

"Get them outta here. I don't wanna see them again!" John was yelling at the four men in front of him. His eyes already dark red from crying, his nose running.

Leaving the room, Sam and Dean inhaled air deeply.

"What the hell happened?"

"He got upset." Castiel replied calm, his eyes trained on Dean.

"Okay, follow me." Nick led them toward another door. The room behind it was dark with a giant window built into the wall. Right through it, they could see John Meldon sitting at the table, crying and broken.

"Did he really strangle his whole family?" Sam asked, keeping the man in sight.

Nick nodded.

"Yes, all five of them. First the woman. He beat her, then, went upstairs to get the kids and the baby and then he strangled and hung them. Afterwards, he burned the whole house down."

"What about his belongings. Did you find anything strange?" Nick started to bite on his thumb, contemplating.

"No, nothing strange or unusual. Just a wrist watch, wallet, tissues. General stuff everyone's having in the pockets, you know." Dean nodded.

"So, what are you guys gonna do about it?"

"We'll need to get to the house. Try to find anything useful there." Nick laughed out loud. "Yeah sure, if you wanna crawl in the dirt, don't mind. You won't find anything there. Everything burned down. I'm telling ya, it's a mess." Dean rolled his eyes. This man was completely useless and definitely staring too much at the angel.

"We're going anyway." he said with a low voice. Still looking at Castiel, Nick said. "Sure, I can give ya a ride, if you want to!"

There were times when Dean Winchester could be very patient, but then, there were times, like right now, when his patience got to an end.

Tensing his muscles the hunter stepped forward towards Castiel, ready to insult the Sheriff of Wayne County for obviously being sweet on his angel.

Before he could do so, another police officer entered the room hastily.

"Sheriff, sorry to interrupt but we've got a rampage at the State College, Anderson Drive. Took several teachers and students as hostages! All forces needed." He was about to leave again when he stopped and took in a deep breath.

"It's Greg, your nephew. I'm sorry." With these words he left them alone again. Nick got a hold on his desk before those words hit him and lowered himself onto his chair. He looked shocked and could not even hide his confusion.

"It's fine. We're done here." Sam said and turned around to leave the miserable sheriff alone, his brother followed suit.

"He's a good boy. He would never... He was always nice to everyone. His teacher said he even was elected as a class representative." The sheriff covered his face in his hands in disbelieve.

Both brothers shared a glance before they nodded simultaneously.

"Sheriff it could be possible that your nephew's case is important to us too." The younger hunter started and moved towards the door.

Castiel kept staring at the human like he was some kind of complex artwork.

"We should go. Maybe it's not too late to fix whatever has cracked in your nephew's brain." Dean commented and pulled at the staring angel's shoulder. Nick stood up too and nodded. "I'm sorry gentlemen. I know Greg. He wouldn't do something that stupid. Let's go." They left the police department right away and followed the sheriff with the Impala.

Only a few minutes later they arrived at the Wayne State Collage, which was already surrounded by police officers and a huge amount of bystanders.

One of the officers ran straight towards the sheriff, holding up a megaphone and started to report.

Actually, it had been biology classes when the young man had obviously snapped. While dissecting a pigeon he had first attacked his classmates with the scalpel and right away killed his teacher before he took one of his classmates as a hostage.

Right now, he was on top of the building with the girl he had chosen and the police could take care of the victims.

When they entered the classroom they could not believe how a single boy could be capable to create such a bloodbath. He had killed most of them with several stabs but many more with a simple cut straight through their throat.

The only one he had not killed was the class mascot Niki, the guinea pig. When the deputy finished his report, all color had left the sheriff's face and he shakily grabbed the megaphone. The FBI agents were standing close by and looked up towards the roof.

"Greg! Stop moving! It's not too late to stop this!" The sheriff started to scream into the megaphone, while his nephew took a few steps closer towards the edge of the roof, shoving his classmate forward.

Dean furrowed his brows. Not too late was not quite the right definition in this case.

"Greg! Stop this lunacy and get down!" Nick yelled into the megaphone. He could not believe what he saw.

"Sheriff it seems he locked the door to the roof. We're working on it but..." A scream interrupted the deputy, drawing their attention back to the building and seconds later a body was thrown down the roof, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

The screams of the bystanders echoed over the place and the police tried to calm the people down and push them out of the way.

Dean threw a serious look at the angel standing next to him, but gained no response. Castiel kept staring upwards and was obviously not touched by the scenery.

"You're in a lot of trouble young man! Throw the weapon away and open the door!" Nick tried to remain calm, but he just could not prevent his voice from shaking.

The young man was already soaked with the blood of his classmates and whatever was left of the sheriff's nephew, seemed to have left him completely.

A few more steps and he was only inches away from the edge.

"Get a damn trampoline, a damn blanket, anything!" Nick yelled at his officers who had already called for the special units rescue team, but they had not shown up yet.

Greg had stopped moving forward and lifted his right hand, holding the scalpel up and towards his neck.

His uncle's eyes went wide, Greg could see it even though he was that far away.

"I'm in a lot of trouble." the young man whispered. As the police finally broke through the door behind him, he rammed the scalpel into his neck and fell forward.

Nick had forgotten about the offer to get the FBI agents to the burnt house. Seeing his nephew die in front of his eyes was too much for him.

The Winchesters drove to the remains of John Meldon's house, but the sheriff had been right. Black, charred wooden planks and molten glass was all that was left of the family home. Dean got off the car and slammed the door shut.

His brother looked at him suspiciously. Usually, when Dean slammed the door of his gorgeous car shut it meant that something was wrong. So he simply asked.

"Dude, you alright?" Dean threw him a threatening glare saying more than words could ever say.

When Castiel showed up next to him, he turned and grabbed the angel by his collar. Pulling him closer he stared directly into the confused blue eyes.

"Why the hell didn't you do anything? Were you enjoying watching this boy jump down? Tell me, why the fuck didn't you move a muscle?"

Sam could not help himself but roll his eyes. As if Castiel was responsible for keeping everyone and anyone alive these days! The young hunter inhaled some air to interfere with his brother but Dean was faster.

"None of your business, Sam. Start searching for any leads. Just need to finish this one first!" Dean growled and waited until his brother gave up and walked over to the burned place.

The hunter turned his attention back towards the angel who had kept his eyes on the other man.

"I want an answer, now! What the hell were you thinkin' dammit?" When Castiel did not reply, Dean's anger level increased to '_now I'm gonna kick your ass_' and he was very close to start another beat down session with that angel.

Needless to say that it was very surprising when Castiel laid his hand on the other man's wrist.

"Dean."

One word and he was speechless.

He did not know how Castiel did it, but one thing he knew for sure: it damn worked! The only thing he could do now was to stare back into those blue eyes. _Oh god, that's too close!_

"I am sorry, Dean. I did not know..." Castiel trailed off, thinking about the right word to choose.

"I was in doubt. Usually you forbid to use any of my powers when we are among other humans. I did not know if I should do something or not. You did not tell me either."

A shiver ran down Dean's spine. He knew this was important but he was simply distracted by something that seriously should not ever distract him. Not at all!

"Dean?"

Castiel tilted his head, his expression showed pure confusion.

"Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"Yeah... no... I mean: yes, everything's alright. Nothing wrong... nothing!" Dean smiled a little desperate smile and let go of the angel.

"Cas, you don't have to do everything I say. You can decide for yourself. You need to start livin' man, not just existing!"

Castiel nodded and lowered his gaze, looking at his own hand holding the Winchester's. "Being human is difficult." Dean chuckled.

"As if angels would be easier to understand. C'mon, Sam's probably crawling along the floor. Let's join him before he gets all fussy about it." The angel nodded again but did not let go of the Winchester's wrist.

"Cas?"

"Yes, Dean?"

"We... uh. We need to..." The hunter trailed off. Looking into those blues eyes made him feel like being hit by an iceberg on the open sea while swimming.

_What did I wanna say?_ Dean forced his head to start working to tell him what he wanted to know, but he could simply not come up with an answer.

"You're invading my personal space, Cas. I can't think."

"My apologies." the angel replied but did not move an inch.

"You're too close, Cas."

"I probably am." And again, the angel did not make a move.

Standing close and staring at each other caused the seconds to crawl by until a loud dark sound cut through this moment, pulling both men back to reality.

Dean's head spun around just to watch a fat pitch black crow laugh at them and fly away. When he turned his head back Castiel was standing a few feet away. _Good idea_, Dean thought and waved his hand.

"We should really get going, man."

"Yes."

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><p><strong>See ya next chapter and as always:<strong>  
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	15. How to flush birds

**Welcome back to... the worst excuse why it took so long ever!  
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**Seriously. Anyone heared of that thing called real life? It's a pain in the ass! Anyway!**

**We proudly present to you... a chapter full of questions and answers and more questions.  
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><p><strong>15. How to flush birds<strong>

**Stones are not enough**

The door jumped open and three men entered the room. All three of them were dirty from head to toe, covered in black dust and slivers of glass and wood.

"Oh god, I'm so hungry." Dean threw his duffle bag onto the bed and fell beside it, stretching his limbs. His brother granted him a sympathetic look.

"You need to get your food by yourself, I can barely move my legs." The younger Winchester commented and yawned lazily while walking towards the closed door separating this room from the bathroom.

"I seriously need a shower before falling asleep."

"Yeah, whatever, Sammy." Another yawn echoed through the room. Both brothers were so busy complaining about themselves that they completely ignored the dusted angel who was still standing next to the door which he had closed quietly.

The three of them had searched every inch of the burned remains of the house. They had moved broken wooden beams, pipes, got soaked wet by liquids only god knew what they were made of and occasionally got smitten by cement slabs. Their reward was quite sobering. They had not found one tiny piece of evidence.

Nothing at all!

At one point, Sam had become that frustrated that he had started to tear a found raven feather into tiny pieces. The same went for Dean.

The only one who had been patient and calm the whole time while crawling through all that dirt and dust and more dirt was Castiel. With that stoic expression of his the angel had continued searching for any possible leads, no matter how small the evidence might have been, but even he had failed to find something.

Anything!

When the clock had stricken nine, the three men had given up. The sun had already started to sink and they were convinced they would not find anything in the dark they had not found during the day.

Now, Dean was lying on a bed in some random motel somewhere in Wayne. He was too exhausted to get himself something to eat, but he really needed to.

Lazily, he pulled himself up onto his elbows, taking in his surroundings. Now, he finally noticed the angel standing around as if he was waiting for something.

"Dammit Cas. Don't just stand there. Aren't you tired?" The angel turned his head towards the older Winchester, looking at him for a second, before answering.

"No."

_Oh yeah, that was a hell of an answer, buddy!_ Dean sighed deep within his throat when he fell backwards again. Since their last little encounter, Castiel had not spoken much. Well, he never said much, but even for him 'no' and 'yes' was just few.

"Did you forget how to speak or did you reduce your vocab to those two words now?" Dean spit out.

"No."

The older hunter rolled his eyes and growled dark. _That's it_, he thought and forced himself up, one more time.

Staring at Castiel, he stood up and started to take off his dirty clothes.

"You know what, Cas? Blow me! I'm serious. I'm tired of this. Just fly out or do whatever you're doing usually when you're not around, but stop this shit!"

He shrugged off his jacket and opened the tie, very well aware that some certain angel was still there. He started unbuttoning his button-down and threw the first garments next to his bag.

As he noticed Castiel not moving a muscle, he remembered. He had told the angel twice to not waste any of his mojo for something stupid. The insight made him growl even more and he turned his back towards the still staring angel.

"Sam, hurry up!" he yelled while walking towards the bathroom door, forcefully knocking against it. All he got as a response was the increasing sound of the shower.

His brother was not done yet and would enjoy the clean water way longer than needed just to piss him off more.

Dean disliked the idea to stay smelly just for the sake of sleep, but if his fussy little brother needed to clean every inch of himself for the next half an hour, he would stick to sleep now and shower later.

When he finally brought his attention back towards Castiel, he noticed that the angel had eventually moved from the door and had taken a few steps towards the hunter. Nearly deliberating if he should close the space or not.

The hunter stayed put and observed the other man. His trench coat was partly soaked and partly smeared with black coal. _Cleaning time_. Either they bought the angel some more clothing or he had to show him how a washing machine worked.

Teaching the angel that was nothing he wanted to do, though.

Not at all! While Dean was busy spacing out and fantasizing about things he needed to teach the more and more human becoming angel, he barely noticed that this very angel had finally overcome his hesitance and closed the gap between them, stopping only inches before him.

"Do you wanna make out or smite me some more?" Dean spit out. If he let the silence fell over them again, he knew what would happen.

Even though he was aware that Castiel would take him way too serious if he kept talking like this he needed words right now, but the angel did not respond in any way.

He kept staring at him. Watching the human breathe, gulp and lick his dry lips in front of him. That staring! Always staring at him.

Like he was a miracle or a hallucination, but nothing real. Nothing he could touch, grasp and hold onto.

The hunter realized he had lost again when his thoughts settled around the idea, what kind of blue the angel's eyes could be.

Calling them blue was not even close to what they seemed to look like for him. It was weird enough to even waste time thinking about another man's eye color.

_Blue is the color of the deep blue sea. I hate that stupid kid's song. _

Feeling a shiver running down his spine at the thought he lifted his right hand and patted the angel on the shoulder.

If mood swings were only for women, Dean did not know how to call his own behavior these days. With a snuck grin on his lips he squeezed the angel's shoulder.

"Cas, stop making a drooling brain dead zombie outta me! You're gonna kill me one day."

His words hit something. Dean did not know what exactly caused it, but he could see a slight twitch on Castiel's face before he lowered his gaze and cut the connection which had established between their eyes.

The blue was gone.

A heavy sigh escaped him._ Yeah, a hero at words_, Dean thought and nearly lowered his chin on top of the lightly smaller man in front of him, when something stung his nostrils.

Dean wrinkled his nose as the scent of Castiel's hair and clothes.

"Dude, if Sam ever gets his beauty shower done, you go in there next! You smell like you got roasted for too long." He kept talking since it felt weird enough to be standing so close again. On the other hand, he did not even know why it felt wrong in the first place.

Castiel was the one walking up towards him.

It was not like he forced the angel or anything so why was he worried about standing close anyway? _Because you're still the one who corrupted him Dean Winchester! You gave him an inch and now he wants to take the yard. Or maybe he has his own reasons to do so and you're not even part of those real reasons? Why is that bitch takin' so long?_ The hunter reached up slowly and grabbed the angel's other shoulder too.

"Hey Cas, you should take that thing off. It smells like garbage and you won't need it anytime soon." Being the only one talking here made the hunter feel more and more uncomfortable. Like he had forbidden the angel to talk or had insulted him so he refused to say anything anymore. Castiel raised his head and met the Winchester's gaze.

"Talk to me man!" Dean's patience died quickly again. It was annoying to talk without getting any kind of response, but maybe Castiel had already said way too much and would stay silent like this from now on?

"You've been friggin' loud once so c'mon! Don't make me push you off a cliff to hear you say something!" He increased the grip on the angel's shoulder and, without noticing, pressing the angel's chest closer.

"If I feel the need to talk, I will, Dean." The voice was low and calm. The hunter nearly held his breath at the angel's words, but the meaning rushed past him. The sound was way more important and shut him up for a moment.

When the door next to them opened, Dean did not even jump or tried to hide anything. The hard stare of the angel was confusing and claiming his attention way too much to bother. They were not doing anything he needed to hide in the first place, but if he was right, Sam already knew more than he knew himself so denying was also useless.

"You guys seriously need a single room for yourselves!" Sam said while leaving the bathroom, shaking his head and slightly grinning to himself.

_First you beat each other up and later you make up for it?_

"You got some serious problems guys." He only spoke out loud the last part of his thoughts while drying his hair with a small towel: feeling fresh and clean again after crawling through coal and dust all day.

"Shut up bitch. Or we start talking about your problems." Dean let go of the angel and sat down on the bed, running a hand through his hair when the hard rock tunes of his cell phone ripped him out of his cursing-baby-brother-state.

While reaching for the phone, he lay down onto the bed and sighed in relieve before he answered the call.

"You're gettin' slower pickin' up your phone, boy. I thought I was the old one here." The rough voice of the old hunter came up, but Dean was already way too tired to even sit up again, so he just lay there and listened to what his friend had found out. In the meanwhile, Sam grabbed himself his still pretty dirty shirt and pulled it back over before he fell back onto the bed, throwing a glance at the still lost looking angel.

It was obvious that Castiel did not know what to do and where to go, so he stayed put and waited for anything to happen. The younger hunter shook his head, lay down properly and closed his eyes. His brother would probably do what was best. As long as he could sleep he did not care what these two idiots were doing.

"Fine. Gotcha. See you later Bobby." Dean placed the phone down onto the desk close-by and lowered his head into the pillow before his brothers muffled voice spoke up behind him.

"So anything new?"

"Yeah, another murder, a few suicides and someone throwing his boss out of the window. Seems pretty much the whole area went nuts, if you ask me." Dean responded feeling sick at the thought of so many people dying lately, especially in this little town.

His eyes shot open when he remembered that there was still something undone standing nearby and waiting for anything. The eldest Winchester turned his head around and found himself staring at Castiel, who had not moved an inch since he broke the eye contact.

"Cas." he started and managed to slowly sit up again. He pointed towards the bathroom.

"You did it once you can do it again, right? Just go and clean yourself up and take a rest, will ya?" Raking his hand through his short dark hair, he waited for the angel to move a muscle.

Finally, Castiel did as he was told and turned towards the bathroom door, closing it shut behind him and leaving the hunters alone.

Dean placed his head back onto the pillow and let out a relieved sigh. Sam had opened one eye to see if their friend was seriously gone before he continued to speak.

"So what do ya think? Witchcraft, black magic, curses, demons? Angels?" Sam was hoping for a proper reply, any kind of clue would have been fine since he had no idea.

"Nope." Dean had already closed his eyes, pressing his face deeper into the soft pillow while he tried to ignore the fact, that the pile of clothing lying next to him was sending waves off unpleasant odors upwards.

"Bobby's got no clue either, yet?" The youngest Winchester kept asking, but it was hopeless. A grunting sound was all he got as a reply and he gave up. Sam slowly drifted away with his thoughts. They would find out what was going on soon.

They always did.

After closing the door behind him, Castiel did not move a muscle. Dean had been right, he smelled and he had noticed it as well. Another indicator for him, that he was becoming more human every day. He disliked it, he even disliked that he disliked something. Castiel shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

He felt a strange pressure in his lower half. It was already distracting him for hours. Of his knowledge humans needed to use the facilities for some kind of release. The angel moved his head, looking at the different objects in the room, resting his gaze on the toilet. Castiel sighed, surrendering to his needs.

Slowly, he started undressing himself. When he was done he moved towards the toilet but stopped again, staring at it as if it was a demon in disguise.

Bending down he lifted the lid. Castiel growled deep within his throat. He could not believe he really wanted to do that! For one moment, the angel closed his eyes, contemplating, calming his mind.

Dean shifted to his side, trying to finally fall asleep. However, the hunter was not able to relax until he heard the toilet flushing. He opened one eye lazily and just a second later he could hear the muffled sound of the shower.

The Winchester shifted again. He could need a shower himself but, considering the fact that his baby brother and the angel were using the shower he would probably shower cold. Dean growled. He did not want to shower cold, he needed warmth, at least tonight!

While he kept his eyes pressed shut, he concentrated on clearing his thoughts, which made it even worse to stop thinking. _I should have headed for the damn shower right in the first place. Damn you comfy looking bed, it's your fault! _When he heard a low snore from the other bed he opened his eyes and turned around. Sam never snored, but he did it again when Dean narrowed his eyes.

_That's it. _

The older hunter sat up again and buried his face in his hand, brushing over his face while the sound of the shower increased a bit. Considering a night sleeping with all the dirt on him and smelling his sweat was just unbearable.

His head slowly turned towards the bathroom door. The light from inside crept into the room, but was not enough to lighten it up.

A bit of steam was dancing in the light and vanished in the much colder air of the main room. Dean had enough.

He stood up from the bed, walked towards the bathroom door, took a last view over his shoulder, to see if his brother was still snoring and entered the bathroom.

12 Hours earlier, some time past lunch

The door swung open and a tall man in uniform entered the small room.

"Brian, how often do I have to tell ya to submit the reports within 24 hours after questioning the suspect? Dammit, man, you're behind, again! I'm not gonna tell ya that a third time, got me? Get yourself together or you can go on annual leave. Unpaid." The man did not even wait for the other to reply.

He simply slammed the door shut again and left the surprised man stare at the wooden door. Brian sighed exhausted and threw his roller ball pen onto his desk. He ran his hands over his face.

"Dammit!" For one moment the only thing he could hear was the sound of bypassing cars and birds. He turned towards the open window and took a look outside. It was quite a sunny and warm day. Children were playing outside, people were taking walks. Apparently, everyone had a free day except for him and his partners. _Right, my partners._ Brian scratched the back of his head, when he turned his attention back towards the loads of paperwork on his desk. He sighed.

"Here for two friggin' years and doin' nothin' but paperwork." he growled.

"Brian, get the coffee, Brian get the prints, Brian get this, Brian get that... I'm gonna show them what Brian can do!"

Determined, he walked over to the filing cabinet. One of the things one learned at the Police Academy was to lock the gun someplace safe, so nobody could take it without intending to use it. He checked the magazine which he had filled for 10 rounds. He pushed the steel magazine in the gun and pulled back the slide.

A small clicking noise told him that the gun was charged. Suddenly, Brian's thoughts were interrupted by loud shouting outside his room. He could see his colleagues rush by, yelling commands and curses. Putting the Glock back onto the shelf he stepped towards the door, opening it and watching his colleagues get armed.

One of the doors toward the questioning rooms opened and his boss stepped into the main working area, followed by three men in suits

"Hey Brian, what are you doin'?" The man turned his head towards a smaller man with dirty brown hair.

"What's goin' on, Jake?" "Some kid went mental at school. All units required." Before Brian could reply his colleague shushed him.

"You stayin' here. You got work to do." he said and continued his way, following the others out of the building.

Brian pulled a grimace, clenching his fists that his knuckles went white.

"Ridiculous." he barked out and turned on his heel, walking back into his small office, slamming the door shut.

"You got work to do, of course I do, and nobody else wants to do it, huh? Bloody hell, and that's what's called colleagues. Bite me!" Furious like hell, he pushed the papers off his desk. Brian continued his way toward the cabinet and grabbed his Glock. A smile worked its way onto his lips. "I'm gonna show them what Brian can do, what I can do!" With this he headed out his office, out of the station.

Outside he walked straight toward his black Dodge He needed to get out of here.

"Ahh, dammit, you beasty thing, get off my car!" Brian lifted his hands and tried to scare the raven off his car. The gigantic bird unfolded its wings to show the man the different shades of black before it took off. Getting in the car he snarled displeased.

"Friggin' birds. Hate 'em!" Starting the engine, he left the parking area, headed downtown.

6 Hours later but 6 hours earlier from the Winchester's

Brian checked his watch. Again. He had made a game of it, testing himself for how long he was able to resist to not looking down at his wrist.

_Just a matter of time_, he thought and glared at a group of young boys standing in front of a small shop. For almost four hours Officer Brian Fowley was leaning against a wall in one of Wayne County's bigger shopping malls. He had been watching people passing by, ready to strike if somebody did anything wrong.

However, nothing had happened until now. A couple of teens had caught his attention. They were standing in front of the store, discussing something in a very aggressive manner. Every now and then, one of the boys had looked at him, to make sure he did not notice anything. Of course, Brian did notice them and he was aware of their intentions.

_They're gonna steal somethin'. C'mon, don't lemme wait, boys_.

Finally, after a few minutes, the teens entered the store. With a smug grin, Brian put his hand around his holster. He would wait until they exited the store and then he would catch them. The man smiled proudly. He would be the hero! Everyone would admire him. Suddenly, he could hear somebody yelling and in the next second, three teens just rushed out of the store. The owner in pursuit. Brian's grin faded and he started moving.

"Police, freeze!" He rushed by the store owner, pursuing the teens. He pushed the masses out of his way, jumped over obstacles, but could not reach them. Brian snarled displeased. He grabbed his Glock and twisted the safety switch to unlock the gun. He lifted his hand, aimed and shot.

The loud exploding sound echoed through the mall and everything seemed to freeze: time and people. He was the first one who dared to move again. Stepping closer to the lifeless body, Brian smiled, he was proud. He had caught a thief!

"Ey, man, what the hell?" A young man gasped, still shocked about what had just happened. Brian turned his head, expecting cheering and gratitude, but all he could see in the man's face was disgust.

"You shot a kid, man! You friggin' shot a kid!" Somebody else added. "And stop grinning you psycho!" Slowly, the masses started to whisper, closing the circle around the officer and the dead boy in front of him. Brian furrowed his brows.

"What? I just caught a thief. So what? Aren't you grateful? Am I not awesome?" he asked, irritated by the people's reactions.

"No man, you just killed a boy. You're sick! And something like you is a cop? Oh my dear god!" An elderly woman knelt down beside the body, putting her freshly bough flowers next to his head.

"I'm sorry boy." she said before she stood up again. When she turned toward the police officer she startled. A couple of people started to scream and her brain finally realized why: She was staring right into the barrel of a gun. Before she could say anything else, Brian pulled the trigger.

When her body hit the ground he started laughing.

"I'm awesome, I've caught a thief, have I not? That's so cool, man! I need to tell that my colleagues. Hey, don't you run away." He moved his armed and pointed at another random person in the crowd before he pulled the trigger one more time.

"Didn't know shooting is that much fun! Should do a lot more of it."

Now, in the middle of the night at the motel

As quiet as possible, Dean closed the door behind him and sighted the bathroom. The pile of the angel's clothes caught his eye first, lying somewhat carefully folded on the toilet seat. The air was damp and hot steam was pouring out from above the shower cubicle. Milk glass prevented him from seeing much, but all he needed to see was the blurred image of the angel's body.

His eyebrows went upwards and he decided for himself that Castiel had not noticed him being in here yet._ Lucky me_, he thought and turned towards the sink.

When a stream of warm water started to brush over his hands and lower arms, a low sigh escaped him.

This had to do for now. While the water kept pouring out he bent forward a bit, closing his eyes for a moment. He felt tired after this long day with all the crawling in dirt and fruitless research.

The mirror above the sink was fogged and he felt the urge need to take a look at his own tired and exhausted face so he reached up and wiped the wet surface partially clean. When he took himself in sight, his ears noticed a difference.

The shower had stopped. Dean held his breath for a moment as he stared at the still closed shower cubicle, which noisily creaked open behind him. Castiel's head poked out first, revealing his wet hair and still dripping shoulders.

When he finally noticed the hunter, their eyes locked in the reflection. It only took two seconds before Dean took in a deep breath and lowered his gaze hastily. The sink was way more interesting right now.

"Dean, is there anything you want?" Wet steps moved closer and the Winchester did not need to look to know that Castiel was standing behind him now. The low voice was way too close. Clasping his hands around the sink, he forced himself to not turn around.

"No, thanks. I just thought a shower would help me sleep. I thought you might be done already." It was the worst lie he could come up with, but it seemed to satisfy the angel since he noticed his growing personal space and the sound of a rustling towel.

A sigh of relief escaped him and he felt secure again before the steps approached him once more.

His body stiffened for a second before he noticed the angel's movement to the left and in the corner of his eye, he could see a hand reaching towards the clothes lying on top of the toilet lid.

"I'm done now." the angel said matter-of-factly. With the pile of clothes in his hand, still completely naked he stayed put and waited for another reply of the hunter.

The hot steamy air caused the hunter to wipe off a thin layer of sweat from his face before he turned around slowly.

A fake smile on his lips he tried to concentrate on the angel's face. "I can see that." he replied and as his brain decided it was way more important to travel down the angel's bare chest, his eyes got caught by the pile of dirty clothes and his brain started to function once more. "Just take a look in my bag. I'm sure I've got one or two shirts left over. Sam's sleepin' already, so don't worry." he said and kept his sly smile on. The angel did not move at first and kept observing the still half dressed hunter.

As if he was waiting for something else to happen, but when the seconds passed and nobody of them moved a muscle, he turned towards the bathroom door. Dean's wish to take a hot shower slowly decreased as his eyes followed the angel leaving the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

_You didn't stare at him. Why did you stare at him? It's not like you don't look awesome yourself, Dean Winchester. You're even better so what? _The hunter shook his head and decided to finally get rid of his own smelly clothes.

It was not supposed to feel like that and he should not be embarrassed at all, but even though he knew that, he still felt something hot building up inside him. All he needed now, was a cold shower and maybe afterwards, he could take a hot one.

Dean took his time to get all fresh and clean again.

A shower did wonders sometimes, like washing away a bad mood or bad thoughts and the hunter felt good once more, tired but good.

When he stepped into the main room, a towel properly wrapped around his waist, his eyes automatically searched for a sign of Castiel.

That very angel, not really a big surprise, was sitting on the edge of the hunter's bed. Waiting and staring straight forward, not even turning his head when the oldest Winchester walked towards him.

Dean was satisfied to see a not naked angel. It seemed that he had managed to find a fitting shirt and fitting jeans in his bag.

"Dean, there is one thing, that bothered me. All day." Castiel's voice was calm and pretty much aware of the fact that another human was in the room, resting, so he avoided being too loud. The spoken to hunter moved closer, shaking his head in the process, while a few drops of remaining water ran down his right temple.

Whatever the angel was going to say, he probably wanted to avoid his younger brother to overhear their conversation.

"Spit it out already. What is it? You need anything?" While the question left his mouth he immediately regretted asking.

"I wondered how the current mission does anything to prevent Lucifer from destroying the world. I was wondering if, in any case, this town and its people had anything to do with the upcoming apocalypse. It doesn't seem necessary to me, to stay here any longer and search for something that is probably not even there." Castiel said, still staring straight forward and not looking up at the hunter.

"You know Cas, we've no idea where Lucifer is, what he's doing and how to stop him. Shall we call for him to come and face us or what do you think shall we do Cas? It's not like we're running from him, but I won't walk straight up to him if he still drools for Sam! And as far as I'm informed, he will always loath for him. We should be glad that whatever is going on here has nothing to do with angels, demons or the devil himself! We're here to do our job. We hunt whatever drives these people mad and kill it. That's what we do Cas. That's our job. To save people!" Dean grew louder and louder with each argument.

He had enough problems. It was not necessary to remind him every damn second, that the world was about to crumble.

"I understand." The angel went silent again and raised his head, meeting the hunter's gaze.

He could not see the hunter's face, it was way too dark already, but his senses told him, that the human was angry. Always angry.

"Why didn't you save the boy?" Dean changed the topic. It still bothered him that a possible possessed victim died without the chance to question him.

Besides, the massacre and death was worse enough on its own, but without a clue, they could not prevent more of these murders and suicides.

"I couldn't peril." The oldest hunter stepped forward and stopped right in front of the angel. "Hell, like you care if anyone thinks you're weird or a psychic. You could have tried!"

"I'm not capable to save everyone Dean, neither do I tend to try to do so. Saving a single human won't change anything." Huffing at this statement, the hunter moved past the angel and sat down onto the bed. Throwing the towel from his head onto the ground, he turned his head around to face the other man.

"Yeah right. Just a single human boy." Dean repeated angrily, not even trying to keep his voice low, ignoring the fact, that his brother was occupied sleeping next to them.

"You know what I saw? A boy, with a family. A mom, dad, sister, who will spend the next years paying for what their son did. A bunch of people crying over the loss of beloved ones." He took in an annoyed deep breath before he continued.

"Also, he could've helped us to get a friggin' clue in this damn case! We're groping in the dark!"

"Coal." Castiel said without even responding to the more important matter.

"What?" Dean was not sure what exactly the other was trying to say, but he felt his anger rise with every further interruption in his speech.

"Wood that burns at a high temperature and turns nearly completely black: coal." The hunter hid his face behind his left hand._ Why did I even ask?_

"Cas, people keep turnin' nuts and killin' whatever they feel like. We need to stop this and if you wanna work with us, help us damnit!"

"You told me, to not waste my 'strength' on unimportant vanities." The angel replied and kept staring straight at the other. Whatever was going on in this town, Castiel did not sense any angel activity nor any sign of Lucifer.

Even if they hid properly, he would have felt anything or sensed even the slightest of their existence, but there was none. There was no need to stay here any longer, people started to go crazy, it could possibly affect the Winchester brothers too.

It could affect Dean Winchester.

"Right. I told you to not waste your mojo, but I also told you to stop listening to everything I say! Act on your own damnit!"_ Also saving lives isn't an unimportant thing._ Another frustrated sigh escaped the hunter.

"For becoming more and more human you're obviously lacking some kind of empathy. If people die, we have to stop it. That's our damn job."

"Could you two discuss that outside or shut up already?" The muffled voice of the younger Winchester appeared behind them and Dean turned around a bit.

"Keep snoring bitch!" He needed sleep badly for himself, but first he had to finish this. Sam grumbled deeply and forced the pillow over his right ear, trying to go back to sleep again.

Dean turned his attention back to the angel.

"I said it was a bad idea. You should've stayed with Bobby. You're distracting us and you're no help dude. Seriously."

"I won't go back, Dean." Castiel responded immediately, as if he needed to make his position clear once and for all.

"Yeah, it's pointless. I got it. Whatever. Things can't be changed anymore. People die and next time, if there is a next time, we need to be faster."

"You can't save everyone, Dean." The words which left the angel's mouth forced the hunter to clench his teeth.

"Maybe not, but I'll be damned if I stop trying. I won't give in so easily!"

When he felt the other moving a bit closer towards him, he reached up, grabbed the angel by his arm and pushed him away.

"Don't even think about it." he said angrily and made clear, that Castiel was not welcome anymore.

Not now. Dean was sick of this nonsense and all he wanted for now was to sleep and nothing else. He simply turned around and roughly slammed his head down onto the pillow. With the smelly clothes and his own sweat gone, he finally could rest.

Alright, he was only wearing a damn towel right now but who cared? With a swift move he grabbed the still properly folded bed sheet, roughly unfolded it and placed it over himself. Mission completed.

The angel could do whatever he wanted, but Dean was too tired to care if he spent his night on a roof again, counting cars, staring into the sky or just kept sitting at the edge of his bed, whatever. He needed sleep. Now!

When he felt the slight move of the bed, he could tell, that Castiel had lifted himself up. With another slightly angry grunt the hunter forced his face deeper into the pillow. _I'll save whoever I can and you won't tell me what I can't do! Dean Winchester doesn't take advice from a douche bag angel! _

The hunter could not believe that even now he was wasting his thoughts on the holy being. Even though he was exhausted he felt the urge need to keep himself awake and busy with thinking.

Finally, tired from his own brain, he lost track of time and his thoughts drifted away, luring him into an unconscious state.

He remembered that smell.

_Alright, now this is gettin' old!_ Dean groaned to himself as the darkness around him slowly faded away and revealed the familiar sight of chains, tables, tools and probably the most important thing of it all: Castiel.

Something was different, however. The angel stared at him from above, a mischievous grin on his lips, like he was truly happy to see the hunter awake. Dean managed to turn his head around a bit and eventually he noticed what was wrong.

He was not tied to a wall or torture rack, he was simply strapped on a long, cold, metallic table, unable to move.

Leather straps held him in place and his sight was restricted. Castiel moved behind his head, even though the hunter tried, he could not see what he was doing.

Seconds later, he could feel more cold metal but this time it was pressed against his head around his cheekbones. Whatever the angel was up to, he obviously wanted to prevent any movement from the Winchester.

_Rememer it's just a dream. Nothing else. Whatever he does, it's not really..._

His thoughts got cut off when every muscle in his body started to twitch and tense. His body rebelled against the leather straps but it was useless. He would not escape. The feeling only lasted a few seconds before the electricity left his body, but his brain could not form any proper thoughts anymore.

His eyelids still twitched slightly.

Dean was happy enough, that he did not feel anything wet between his legs, but even if, he probably would not care right now. Not in this weird place.

"How did that feel? I thought we'd try something new today." Castiel's voice was way too cheerful. It was unusual.

Maybe Dean's dreams were mixing in too much of his memories of hell and Alastair or the angel simply started to enjoy their small sessions._ An angel that enjoys torture, sure, dream on man_.

Dean's brain managed to form thoughts again and focus on what was just happening to him. Another jolt of electricity ran through his body and every muscle screamed once more. It did not last longer than the first one but it seemed the angel had increased the voltage. Even though the device was shut down already, he could feel his legs and arms twitch uncontrollably.

A question formed in the hunter's fried brain: how could a memory know what it felt like to be treated like this? Right when he wanted to think further, he noticed that the pain in his muscles felt way too familiar.

Just as if he had a hard and long workout, but not really as bad as it was probably supposed to feel.

Even though the method was different and not anywhere close to what he had experienced in the last weeks, the pain was not different. Being ripped open, torn apart and bleeding, but electric treatment?

Even though it was neither the right time nor place, he started to chuckle a little. A shadow leaned over him and he could enjoy the upside-down sight of a slightly confused, nearly worried angel.

"Did that last little shock break something in your head? You've already gone insane? That would spoil everything else I had in mind!" The hunter continued to chuckle but the sound of his laugh was cut off by a hand on his mouth.

Dean's eyes widened a bit as he could catch a dark shimmer in those blue eyes above him and the angel's voice rose again.

"Shh. Don't make me sew you shut, Dean. Laughter doesn't suit this place and you don't want to disturb this, do you?" With these words he removed his hand from the human's mouth, only to be rewarded with a wicked smile on the hunter's features.

"Now you screwed up. You're nothing like him, just a fucked up memory walking around in an angel's body. You aren't Cas!" The hunter felt stronger than ever before. Memories could harm him in his dreams, but as soon as he woke up this bullshit was over.

_Cas if you're watching this right now, wake me up please._ Dean wished he could turn his head around, but the device still prevented him from moving, so, instead he just closed his eyes. If only he would wake up already.

"What makes you believe that I want you to leave so soon?" The angel said as if he had read the hunter's thoughts and buried his left hand into the dark hair of the trapped man on his table.

"You won't leave if I don't want you to. Do you understand Dean? After all those nights and days and endless hours I thought we finally got somewhere, but it seems I still have to teach you. You really are persistent." He did not want to waste any more time for words, he would let the hunter feel how wrong he was.

"And you're talking too much. Quit pretending to be something! You fucked up dream mutant angel!" Dean barked back and tried to look as amused and confident as possible in his situation. The Winchester smiled. Finally, he could see that his torturer's facade was slowly crumbling.

"Maybe you don't know the real Castiel? Maybe you haven't encountered my true self yet?" Another amused sound left the hunter's throat. He was winning this.

"And maybe you should stop talkin' bullshit and get yourself a hobby! Watch some bees or something!" He wanted his normal dreams back.

He wanted his original dreams back. He wanted something real instead of this fake pretending thing above him. He could not deny how much he despised the creature that shared the same air with him right now.

_Cas, if you hear me, wake me up already. _"Oh Dean you think it's that easy? You still don't understand!" Dean could not stand the voice of the angel anymore. The words were wrong, everything was wrong. If the pain was not enough to torture him, than listening to a rip-off angel certainly was.

Dean refused to look into the man's face and pressed his eyes shut.

"All I need to understand is that you are not him and whatever you do won't affect me anymore. I know Cas. He wouldn't do shit like this. It's simply not his style." he said and barely noticed that he had started to chuckle again. It felt weird to laugh in his current situation but he could not do much more right now.

Dean knew it.

His dream version of Castiel was nothing more than a mixed up memory filled with lies and his current state of a part of hell was affecting him too, since Lucifer was walking on earth. He could only guess.

A hard blow hit him his face. His eyes shot open and his head bumped against the metal device, which was still holding him in place. He could feel his teeth grinding against his lip and only bare seconds later he could taste his own blood.

Castiel's breathing pitched for a moment before the angel calmed himself down again. Simply beating was not enough in this case.

"You know nothing." The voice grew deeper as the creature walked around the table and reached towards an object on his utility table. Dean could not see what it was, but he already knew that it would be something to slice, rip and tear him.

A moment later he felt the weight of the other man on top of him as the angel straddled himself above the hunter, pressing their bodies together as close as possible.

"So what's his style? I wonder what he would do." The obviously revealed fake angel leaned down slowly.

Waiting for an appropriate answer, but got tired of waiting after a few seconds.

"It's a shame." Castiel whispered and leaned down further, brushing his lips over the hunter's and felt the wince rushing through the strapped body as he slowly forced his curvy knife into the soft flesh, opening old scars and tearing freshly healed skin apart again.

He aimed for the small area between the hunter's rips and turned the knife around to pass through the gap which parted bone and muscle tissues.

While he enjoyed the gasp and scream that left the hunter's lips he made a swift move, forced the knife even deeper and turned it to the left slowly. Dean's agony increased even more and he tried to bite the fake angel away, but all he managed was to cough which forced the blade even deeper inside him.

Castiel turned his instrument around even more, nearly drawing invisible circles into the bleeding flesh under him. Suddenly, he pulled his knife out again. Observing the wound with his fingertips, he let his eyes travel upwards till he enjoyed the exhausted and twisted expression on the hunters face.

"You should see yourself Dean. You're a living piece of art. I'm the artist. You're my canvas." the angel said cheerfully before his good mood vanished at the sight of a grinning Winchester under him.

He was twitching at the pain, but his lips were forcing themselves into a bizarre grin. Laughter echoed through the endless walls of the chamber.

Dean could not hold himself back at the angel's words. There was nothing to prove anymore. It felt good to laugh even though his body was still strapped down, bleeding and the aftershocks of the treatment were still lingering in his muscles.

He knew what he would do first when he saw the real Castiel after he woke up later. Thinking about the confused look on his face afterwards made him laugh even louder.

"Stop it."

The angel said with a harsh tone in his voice. The fun was over, but Dean continued his snickering, ignoring him.

"Stop laughing."

Castiel commanded again, this time, trapping the hunter's neck with his right hand. He did not squeeze it yet, but as the hunter ignored him and just continued his foolish behavior, he used his left hand too and started to cut off the hunter's breath.

"I said: Shut up!"

His voice grew louder, but Dean's dry laughter was still pouring out of the broken body. It took another tight squeeze to ruin the happy mood of the strapped human.

The hunter's laughter started to turn into half hearted coughs when more and more air left his lungs.

Right when he thought he would pass out he could feel a soft touch against his lips, followed by a tongue, precisely licking along his broken, bleeding lip.

The grip on his neck loosened and silence fell over the place. When the angel let go of his neck and lips, Dean stared at him blankly.

"You are nothing like him. Nothing at all." Right when he closed his eyes again, he could feel the sharp metal move inside him.

Tearing at his muscles, his flesh and parting his skin further.

"Make-believes are over, Dean." Words slipped from the angel's mouth, but they did not really reach Dean anymore.

He knew it was fake and he would soon be waking up. Soon enough, but until then he could only endure the way to real burning pain. Slowly, he slid his eyes open again only to witness as the darkness around him spread again.

The last thing he noticed before his vision went black was the face of an angry angel staring straight down at him, his lips moving and forming his name.

"Dean."

"Dean!" A voice was calling him, but he was way too tired to respond in any way. His eyes closed, he managed to slowly turn around, bury his face into a rather hard pillow.

"Dean, c'mon!" The familiar voice penetrated him again.

Dean's eyes shot open and the first thing he saw was the very face of his concerned baby brother Sam. The older hunter jerked up and looked around, taking everything in.

"Dean, you alright? What the hell happened?" Sam let go of his brother's shoulders and sat back down on his own bed, still watching the older man and his strange behavior.

"Dean? Hello? Talkin' to ya, buddy."

"Where is he?" Dean stood up and walked across the room just to take a look at the bathroom. Needless to say that he was not surprised to find it empty.

"Who? Cas? He's... dunno. He flew off, I guess." Sam pulled a face in surprise, still working on putting the puzzle together.

"Did you have another one of those weird dreams?" Dean spun around and looked at his brother, contemplating about lying or telling the truth. This time, he chose the latter.

"Could say that. Weird isn't even close to it!" Sam furrowed his brows.

"Wanna talk?"

"Nope!"

"Okay. Anyway, uh, we got some work to do. Perhaps you get distracted with that!" This time it was Dean who looked surprised.

"Work?"

Sam nodded and gathered his things.

"Got a call from the sheriff's office. There seems to be some officer who went nuts. Happened yesterday around the same time when we went to the house but nobody noticed because everyone was busy." The eldest Winchester nodded understanding and yawned.

While clapping his hands he stood up.

"I'll get myself a nice shower, you get supplies and then we're gonna have breakfast on our way before we meet the sheriff." He hurried past by his younger brother, but stopped in the threshold, throwing his brother an indefinable glance.

"Now!" he added and disappeared behind the door, leaving Sam with his dozens of questions alone. A little desperate about the current situation he simply said "Uhm, okay..." and smiled helplessly.

Twenty minutes later, both men were sitting in the Impala, eating their breakfast while Dean kept staring into the rearview nervously.

When he had returned from his shower, Castiel had just stood in the middle of the room, talking to his baby brother.

Sam had read Dean's expression but had just shrugged it off, explaining himself with "Got work to do!" before he had pointed towards the food bags on the table. Now, as already mentioned, they were sitting in the Impala, heading towards the WCPS.

Dean looked into the rearview again. Since Castiel had shown up this morning they had not spoken with each other. They had not even looked at each other! The hunter felt uncomfortable. First, this weird dream and second, the angel's strange behavior, or better, his non-existing behavior.

_Dammit, Cas_. Dean forced himself to focus his attention back on the road in front of him. Finishing his burger, he cleaned his fingers by wiping them over his jacket. Unfortunately, Sam noticed that.

"Urgh, dude, you serious? I'm so not gonna clean your stuff next time!" Shaking his head, Sam turned his head back toward the window, trying to ignore his older brother's unbelievable and disgusting behavior.

He even ignored his "What?" and tried hard not to respond to it.

It took the three men just thirty more minutes before they arrived at the WCPS. Everyone was already busy when they entered the building. Dean headed directly towards Stacy who was pacing through the hall.

"Oh, you again. Good to see you. The sheriff is down the floor, interrogation room two!" she said before Dean could even open his mouth. The older Winchester glanced back at his brother and waved into the indicated direction.

"What the hell were you thinkin' Brian? I mean, you shot a teenager. A god damn kid, Brian!" The sheriff inhaled deeply before he continued.

"And why the hell did you shoot the other civilians? Did you completely lose your mind?" Nick turned around and run a hand through his hair. The sheriff opened his mouth but suddenly, the door opened and Dean stepped into the small room.

"What the... oh, agents. Good you're here." Automatically, Nick's gaze moved toward the other agents and remained on Castiel.

"I am currently questioning Brian, I mean Mr. Fowley regarding yesterday's shooting at the mall. He has killed several civilians on a rampage and returned to the WCPS afterwards, filled a report as nothing happened and..."

"...I wasn't on a rampage, Nick. I saved lives. Those kids tried to, and as a matter of fact, succeeded in stealing. I simply caught them. Nothing else!" Brian interrupted proudly. The sheriff spun around again. His face showing fury when he yelled.

"Dammit Brian, you killed people... just stop the fuck talking!"

Dean and his brother shared a glance before the younger Winchester moved closer toward the table.

"Uhm, Brian, why exactly did you do... what you did?" he asked and received a confused look from the person in question.

"Because that's my job. I'm a police officer. I have to catch the bad people. To serve and protect! That's what I just did." The sheriff exhaled exhausted and turned around. He walked past by Dean, stopped next to Castiel and threw him a glance before he left the room. Dean noticed this but did not say anything.

He was certainly not in the mood for it. He turned back toward the police officer and smiled smuggly.

"So, serve and protect, huh? Think you kinda misunderstood that phrase. Killing innocent people doesn't fall under serving and protecting. Not at all, buddy!" Brian just shrugged.

"I did what I had to do. I'm not gonna say any more!" With this, the man crossed his arms in front of his chest and pouted. Noticing something fall down, Sam bent down to pick it up.

"Hey, Brian. Why do you carry a feather around?" The younger Winchester held up the black feather so everyone was able to see it. Brian shrugged again before he replied.

"Not mine. Perhaps from this crow I scared off my car. Who knows? Who cares?" The young hunter frowned.

"Is there anything else you might wanna tell us?" Brian shook his head causing the hunters to sigh and surrender.

"Very well. That's it then. Thanks for your time and please rot in hell!" Dean said and marched out of the room, leaving a speechless brother and emotionally untouched angel behind.

Five minutes later, the Winchesters and the angel were sitting in Sheriff Nick's small office, going through the evidence once again.

For the hunters, nothing made sense. No indicators for demonic influences, no witchcraft, no nothing. The only trace they got was a handful of case reports and the belongings of the people. Dean yawned. "There is no damn connection. What made them go mental, after all? I don't get it." The sheriff started laughing amused.

"Yeah, well. Me neither! Anyway, you fancy a drink or something? I'm starving." Dean started beaming immediately. "Man, I'm in." Sam rolled his eyes. As soon as his brother heard any word that could be related to food he got hungry.

That was definitely not normal!

"Guys, I pass. Think I'm gonna stay here a little longer and check the evidence... again!" Smiling, Sam waved over the table and grabbed one of the plastic bags on it.

"What about you, Mr. Walsh? Fancy some delicious treats?" Nick asked and granted Castiel with a more than just friendly smile.

For a moment, it seemed like Castiel was not going to reply but then he stood up, nodding.

"I shall come with you. If the treats are the right ones I will be fine!" Without even wasting a glance at Dean, he walked by and followed the sheriff out of the office.

Dean mouthed a 'What the hell?' toward his brother before he rushed out of the room, following his angel and this other man.

Keeping a few steps between him and the other two men, Dean followed suit, silently watching Nick chatting with Castiel, or to be more precise, speaking to himself. Castiel did not seem to be bothered by replying to anything the sheriff said.

Apparently, the man did not care much about it, he kept on talking. When they had finally reached the café they chose a table in the far corner.

Dean was not blind, he had noticed the sheriff's intentions and he was determined to do something about it.

Therefore, he sat down beside Castiel, throwing him a threatening glare, but again, the angel ignored him. _Damn you_, he hissed in his thoughts, hoping that Castiel was aware of them. And, apparently, he was because his head turned around to look at the hunter.

It was one of those moments Dean hated and desired so much at the same time. They were simply staring at each other, blocking out everything around them. This moment did not last long, however. Nick almost threw the cup of coffee onto the table in front of Dean, and apologized with a smile sweet as poison.

While sitting down, Nick reached over the table and placed another cup in front of Castiel.

"So, how do you like it so far, Cas?" Dean almost choked on his own tongue when he heard Nick call his angel by the name he had given him long time ago. The hunter glared at the sheriff. Before he could say anything, Castiel raised his voice.

"It may have not been obvious for you, but I do not wish to talk to you sheriff. And this treat..." Castiel threw a deadly glare at the cup of coffee in front of him.

"...is certainly not what I desire!"

He turned his attention back towards the staring sheriff.

"To make my point clear: I do not care about you in any way. You mean nothing to me, so it would be advisable to stay away from me as far as possible. There are certainly other things I desire more than you!" Castiel's gaze wandered off to look at the hunter beside him, who had joined Nick in staring at the angel, mouth agape, eyebrows raised.

Without hesitation or another word, Castiel stood up and exited the café.

When the door bell resounded, Dean jumped up and followed the other man, leaving a still stunned sheriff behind.

Outside, he immediately caught sight of the angel. Castiel was standing at the corner of the building, apparently waiting for him to follow.

As soon as Dean had reached him he started off.

"The hell, Cas. What was that about? Dammit! We're undercover man. You can't do such shit. Especially not in public areas!" Dean hissed furious while he gestured with his arms. Castiel on the other hand remained calm.

He simply listened to what the eldest hunter said before he replied in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Dean, I believe you were the one who told me to think on my own. That is what I did because I do not wish to have this man close to me. I do not care about him and if I wish to have somebody's desire upon me it shall be yours."

With this, Castiel disappeared.

Right now, Dean Winchester felt really, really, really small and speechless. The hunter just stared at the wall which had been behind Castiel just seconds ago.

"That... angel..."

At the WCPS

Sam had sat down in the Impala, waiting for his brother and the angel to finish their 'date' with the sheriff. Nothing new had been discovered in the old reports and, after waving Stacy a short goodbye, he had left the police station.

Now he wished he had joined his brother instead of staying behind. He probably missed something worth a good laugh right now.

"We need to finish this job ASAP if we run into that sheriff once again, it might end up uncomfortable!" The younger hunter nearly jumped when Dean nearly ripped the door open and smashed it shut aggressively shortly after.

"Dude." Sam took a look around, not finding what he was searching for.

"Where's Cas?" he asked, furrowing his brows and staring at his still raging brother, who tried to act as cool and calm as possible. Failing completely!

"It seems that, our sheriff, did something that Cas didn't like. So, let's just agree that we don't mention him for the next 2 hours alright?"

Still frowning, Sam kept staring at his brother.

"Call Bobby. Tell him we're heading back for now. No need to waste another bunch of money for a room." Dean said and let the engine roar up, feeling immediately better as he felt the vibration of his beloved baby flowing through him.

His brother shook his head but did as he said. It would not hurt to call their old friend for some news and clues.

While he kept waiting for the hunter to pick up, he kept observing his brother's body language. Something told him that he was somewhere else with his thoughts again and, Sam knew his brother by now, he could point towards the being that was bothering the other Winchester's mind.

Finally, he could hear the clicking noise on the other side and a raspy "Hello?" from the old man.

"Hey Bobby."

"So how's it goin'?" The boys always had the perfect timing calling their old friend. Currently, he was busy emptying a huge bottle of home-brewed scotch. While he waited for the other to describe their discoveries, he took another long sip, feeling the liquid burn in his throat and hissed slightly into the phone.

"Everything alright Bobby?" Sam interrupted himself suspiciously.

"Yeah, sure. Continue. Anything unusual?" Bobby replied and waited for the young hunter to continue.

"It might be nothing but, get this: It seems all of the people who went nuts had an encounter with birds. At least that's reasonable since I found feathers among personal belongings." "Birds? Geez. What kind of birds are we talking about?" The old hunter mumbled into the phone, his brain already working like crazy.

"Uhm, black ones I guess. One mentioned something like a crow, but the ones we saw were bigger. More like ravens or something." Sam continued, not sure what exactly could be that interesting about those flying creatures.

"Idjits."

Bobby said more to himself than into the phone.

"Come back here. I think I know what you're dealing with here." He placed the phone back onto the desk and turned around with his wheelchair.

Somewhere inside the huge bookshelf behind him, was exactly what he needed now.

The book of Norse mythology and divinities.

A few hours of research and preparation later

As the little amount of blue fume vanished into thin air, the hunters remained silent and waited for something to happen.

"Did it work?" Dean whirled around, looking for a sign of any supernatural being but could not make out anything.

"Maybe we forgot something?" Sam poked around inside the bowl, pushing burned clumps of blood and myrrh around. Bobby opened the book again and started to search for any kind of mistake they could have made, when suddenly someone knocked at the front door.

The Winchesters exchanged looks before the younger hunter cautiously walked towards the door.

"Anyone ordered pizza?" Dean said but placed his hand on his colt, just in case they had some kind of sinister visitor. Sam turned around and took another glance at his brother.

"Who's it?" he said out loud and waited for some kind of reply.

When he did not receive any kind of response, he turned back towards his brother and both shrugged, pulling a turtle face simultaneously.

"If you call for someone you should be kindly enough to not let him wait outside for too long. He might be gone before you open up." A deep raspy voice appeared from outside, which made the hunters raise their brows.

The younger Winchester opened the door hesitantly and narrowed his eyes.

Right in front of him an old man, white hair and beard, wearing several layers of brown tattered jackets and a rather dirty jeans came into view. Dean appeared in the doorframe and his eyes widened at the sight of the guy that showed up.

"Bobby? Old friend of yours?" He waved to the old hunter which rolled towards the boys, the book still lying on his lap, to take a look at who had decided to stop at his house. When he finally got the chance to take a look at the visitor, his eyes observed the appearance and he rudely poked the brothers into their sides.

"Move it and let him in idjits!" The old man walked past the two men and followed Bobby into the living room. The old hunter placed the book back onto the huge desk and ogled their new guest warily. Sam stood a few feet off from the white bearded man and observed him himself.

"So you are..." Dean started when he entered the room too but got cut off shortly after.

"The ruler of Asgard. The god of war, death and wisdom." Bobby said with a great amount of respect in his voice which Dean was pretty much lacking.

A forced smile made its way up onto the gods wrinkled face.

"You summoned me. What do you want?"

"You're Odin?" Sam asked as if Bobby's description was not clear enough.

A simple "Yes." was the short and precise answer that left Odin's mouth before a short laugh disturbed the moment of upcoming respect.

"No offense, but you look pretty puny for a god." Odin turned his head towards the older Winchester and stared at him blankly.

"I assume, you thought a god like me should appear with thunder, a storm, flashing lights and with wind blowing through his long untamed hair?" Dean could not suppress a short snicker, but tried to calm down right away.

"Not really but a little bit more than a simple knock would've been a bit more impressive. Just sayin'!" Sam rolled his eyes at his older brother before he cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"It seems something that belongs to you, is responsible for several incidents in some little town." When silence was all he received, Dean spoke up.

"Your birds."

"Ravens." Sam corrected him and received a 'Sam-Winchester-the-bird-fancier' look from his older brother before he continued.

"They are responsible for several deaths and it would be great if you could take them with you. It seems they're a bit out of control."

The youngest hunter tried his best charming smile and waited for an answer.

"Just jam them back into their cage and we're done here!" Dean broke the silence again and felt his own patience fall apart.

When the god still kept silent, Bobby turned his wheelchair around and rolled behind his desk. Calling a god was simple but to make him do what you want, was obviously quite another matter.

"Hugin and Munin haven't had the chance to spread their wings for ages. They obviously enjoy the fresh air brushing through their feathers. To take that away from them would be unthinkable."

"They're killing people!"

"Nonsense!" The early raspy and nearly weak voice grew into a loud and powerful growl, which nearly made the older Winchester jump.

Odin closed his eyes and took in a long sip of air.

"You're mistaken." he simply said and opened his eyes again to exchange views with the mortals in front of him.

"Neither Hugin nor Munin killed anyone. All they do is to awake and activate what lies within the human soul. If there is a deep feeling lingering inside oneself, they're able to make it surface. Sometimes those feelings are a bit overwhelming but what the mortals do with it, doesn't involve them anymore."

"Easy to say for someone who let them free and lost control over their behavior!" Dean yelled at the god, stepping closer and feeling his natural grudge against gods and other holy beings rise inside him.

Odin remained silent for a moment, thinking if it was worth to spend any more time with these mortal beings.

Finally he raised his hands in the air and spoke up again.

"I don't think you understand the slightest. They might belong to me but I'm not in control of their actions. What they choose to do depends on Hugin and Munin themselves." He gestured towards the hunters, a nearly non existing smile on his features.

"Anyway. Who am I, to spoil my friend's fun? It might disappoint you but I don't care for the single one of you." The old man turned around, towards the door and started to walk away from the humans.

"Wait! There has to be a way to stop this! Even gods have to follow the rules!" Sam clutched at the last straw he could come up with and hope blossomed inside him, as the old man stopped his movements.

"The rules have been ripped out of the book and were tossed into the sea. As I said, I'm not going to call them back. They can spread their wings and fly as long as they wish." With these words he, very slowly, tuned and continued his leave when the older Winchester finally got an idea.

"Maybe for a price?" Dean suggested and wiggled his brows. A being like Odin would have a weak point somewhere, hopefully. It seemed to work. The god turned his full attention to the hunter. Odin's face suddenly showed some kind of interest into the older hunter.

"What do you think you could offer to someone like me?" he said and folded his arms over his chest.

Sam noticed they had actually nothing to present but at least they had a change to find something he might wanted. The hunters tried to come up with something but their brains failed them.

Dean was the first to speak again.

"We can get you whatever you'd like to have. As long as it doesn't involve any more human lives or virgins."

"I've got no use for human belongings, or lives." Before the humans could come up with anything to offer, the sound of fluttering wings announced the arrival of their guardian angel. Not a second later Castiel showed up, keeping his distance from both Winchesters.

Dean turned around waving a bright smile at him, which vanished immediately as the angel did not even greet him like he always did.

The angel seemed to change his behavior at will lately.

"Hey Cas." he said, feeling more and more uncomfortable with every passing second, which the angel kept silent. Hemming, he turned back towards the more important matter.

Odin did not deign to look at Castiel at all and kept waiting, his patience leaving him steadily. None of the hunters could come up with anything to offer, even though Bobby had started to turn page by page in his book to find a clue.

"I have found Gungnir." The angel said out of nowhere and suddenly, he received all the attention. As the word reached Odin, Sam noticed that something twitched in the gods face. "Who's Gungnir?" Dean asked, his face showing disbelieve that this thing was even a word. Castiel turned his head towards the hunter and opened his mouth when the oldest hunter spoke up.

"A spear. Excuse me: his spear." Bobby closed the book and looked up at the god in confusion.

"How can you find something he carries with him?" The hunters could not believe their eyes as they noticed that the god was somewhat struggling for words.

"You lost it?" Dean said with a big fat smile on his face.

Odin tried to stay calm and only replied a short "Misplaced." while the older Winchester found himself snickering even more.

"Seriously, how could you lose something like that?"

"Dean." Sam felt like hitting his brother with the book Bobby was holding right now but he knew it would only cause more damage and probably more stupidity.

"Alright, alright. So, let me get this straight. If we get you your little goodie, you will take those murderous birds with you?" Dean furrowed his left brow in disbelieve while the god simply nodded.

"I promise, I'll take them home with me but you're mistaken. Neither Hugin nor Munin have murderous intentions. They just awake what lies within oneself." Odin snickered slightly. "Those unfortunate souls. They will be mourning over the loss of their spare time." The smug grin on his face did not show any kind of mercy or pity for all the misery which his birds had caused on earth.

Another point for Dean for not liking gods or anything so called 'holy'.

"Fine, whatever." The hunter faked a smile and turned around to face the one who would deliver the god's precious weapon.

Castiel had been silent since he mentioned the spear and while the hunters kept talking, he kept staring holes into the oldest ones back.

"Alright Cas. Go get it!" Dean gestured towards the angel to get moving, but instead of the sound of fluttering wings, he only received a blank stare.

Sam raised a brow and switched glances between the angel and his older brother. Something told him that Dean was missing something in his command, which should not be a command in the first place.

The angel did not move a muscle. The oldest Winchester hemmed and took a few steps towards Castiel.

"I said, get the goodie to the god and everything will be back to normal." he said with a lower voice and even more silent he added a "Please?" to complete his request. He kept his green eyes locked with the angel's blue ones and waited for them to disappear, but nothing happened.

"Cas, could you please get that spear for Mr. Odin over there so he takes his little feathered friends with him?" Dean said, becoming louder by now since he got sick of waiting and not getting any response from the stubborn angel.

Castiel lowered his gaze for a moment and remained silent.

When he finally looked up again and met Dean's gaze he parted his lips and a single word left his mouth.

"No."

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><p><strong>I know all of you love it when we pull a break right where it gets somewhat interesting...<strong>

**We're not even sorry.**

**Stay tuned! Next chapter... will be ...fun.**


	16. Croaking corby

****First things first...  
>Yepp its been a long long time and some of you might even think we were lieing from the start when we said this fic will have a proper ending and it will be a long way till we reach the end but you will get your end!<br>Nonetheless... this is NOT the end this is the long awaited (hahaha...) Chapter 16 of Reasons.****

We hope this chapter makes up for the long wait and... makes up for the summer break.

Another note: We would appreaciate any native speaker to who's fine with sexual content and gore to help us out and beta read our chapters. The last time my eyes traveled over chapter 15 I felt like crying since its worse than.. I had imagined. So we want YOU *points finger in the crowd randomly* to help us and become our faithful slave..i mean Beta Reader. It would be awesome if the other chapters could be checked too.

**It just feels so wrong if you want to write a story but the mistakes and failures are so friggin obvious that noone reads it and stops right at the start of the first chapter.**

So.. feel free to jump in and leave a note.

Enjoy

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><p><strong>16. Croaking corby<strong>

Teach the bird to sing

Watering the plants was one of the things he enjoyed doing. Since he was a boy he had helped his father take care of their garden. He always wanted to be like his father, a gardener, but things had changed and he had grown older. After finishing school he had decided to join the church. He had never been very religious, not until his father got killed in a car crash. After that, he wanted to know why.

He had started studying divinity. He was a first class graduate and owned a Masters degree now. The more he had learned about religion the more he had become fascinated about it and now, he was proud and glad that he had decided to walk this path. He had a wonderful job in a great county and everyone loved and trusted him. He did not need anything else.

"Reverend Brown, look what I've found under the pear tree!" The older man looked up into the smiling face of Jeremy Todds, the son of his neighbors.  
>"What have you found, my son?" Jeremy held out his hands, opening them, so the reverend could have a look at what was hidden inside. Reverend Brown smiled.<p>

"Oh, what a beautiful grub, you've found."  
>"What is it reverend? What will it become one day, do you know that?" The old man stood up and ruffled through the boy's hair. "One day, it will become a beautiful violet copper. And then it will fly across the world, see beautiful places." Jeremy's eyes beamed of excitement.<br>"Really? Oh, I wanna see that. I want it to grow up fast!" The boy jumped around in excitement, holding his hand above his head as if he could speed up the process of maturation. Reverend Brown smiled. Those children were truly innocent.

_They need to be protected from this dangerous world_, he thought and suddenly, his smile vanished.  
>"I have to protect you from this world." he whispered under his breath when he started walking towards the boy. "Come with me Jeremy, would you?" The boy turned around, confusion and was curiosity written all over his face. "Where are we going, Reverend?" "To a safe place, my son."<br>"Ya." Jeremy followed the older man into the church. Passing the benches, they walked straight towards a wooden door. None of them spoke. When reverend Brown opened the door and pointed towards a staircase leading into the cellar, the boy raised his head again, confusion still written all over his face. "Reverend Brown? Reverend, where are we going?" The old man smiled assuring and walked next to the boy. "We're going to play a game, but it would be too dangerous to play it outside. That's why we're going to play in the cellar."

Reaching the end of the staircase the reverend lighted a lamp. "What are we going to play, reverend? Tell me, please." The man turned around and went to his knees, being at eye-level with the kid. "We're going to play hide and seek. You are going to hide and you mustn't come out until I've found you. No matter what! You won't say a thing, not a sound. And if I don't find you I will buy you a new bicycle. What do you think?" Excited, Jeremy nodded. The man could see the little white teeth hiding behind the boys lips.

_Such an innocent boy_.

"Good boy, I shall tell your parents not to worry, alright?" The boy nodded again.  
>"Good. Then, shall we begin? Let me count to one hundred." Jeremy turned on his heel and ran across the long floor. With a smile on his face, reverend Brown stood up again and left the cellar, closing the door with a clicking sound. <p>

Dean kept staring at the angel a couple of feet away. Unable to neither close his mouth nor say anything, he looked at his brother.  
>"Sam?" he asked, slight desperation filling his voice. He turned his head back toward the angel.<br>"What?" he managed. Castiel calmly stepped closer, making the eldest Winchester's insides cramp.  
>"Cas? The hell?" Slightly intimidated, and Dean would never admit that afterwards, he stepped back. The hunter put on a weak smile.<br>"Hey buddy. Hehe... what's the matter?"

_Why do I have the feeling that I'm gonna get hurt very very soon_, Dean thought when he felt the wall behind him.

Just in time, Sam raised his voice.  
>"Cas, uhm, why do you refuse to help us? We don't have much of a choice here, we need this spear." The angel did not bother to turn around when he spoke.<br>"You may not have noticed this Sam, but I am not your servant. You can get the spear on your own." Despite the intimidating angel in front of him Dean felt the well known heat of anger rush through his body. He did not understand what was going on, but what he knew was that this very angel was not supposed to say such things or do what he was actually doing - or not doing. Not for him at least. He glanced over to see an apparently very amused god who tried to hide his smile.  
>"Cas, dammit. This is not the right time to discuss such matters. Besides, we're not treating you like a servant."<p>

"No, you just call me whenever you need something and can't get it on your own. I am fairly sure that is considered as some kind of slavery and I am not willing to do this anymore, Dean."

_Oh dear_, Sam made a few steps backwards, indicating Bobby to do it as well. He already knew how this would end. And he certainly did not want to take part in it.  
>"What the fuck is wrong with you, huh? You didn't have a problem with this before, so why now? Did you not get your daily beat-down with me or what? What's your bloody problem? Tell me because I don't see any problem here." Castiel growled deeply within his throat.<p>

"Of course you don't." was the matter-of-factly reply before he vanished once again leaving the hunter stare at an empty spot right in front of him.  
>"Nononononono, Cas you're gonna move your ass back here from wherever you are or I swear by god... by my father's grave... I'll kick your ass that hard you won't be able to walk afterwards!" When nothing happened, Dean continued his charade.<br>"Cas, I'm very serious about this ass-kicking. Don't you dare to refuse me and then leave without a friggin' explanation, you stupid angel!"

Again, nothing.

"Oh, c'mon. For fuck's sake. Show yourself!" And again: No response. Pouting, Dean glared at the ceiling.  
>"Fine, stay where you are and don't you dare to show up in the next couple of hours. We get this stupid spear without you. Don't need a friggin' angel in his monthlies!"<p>

If the situation would have been not as serious as it was, watching Dean pout and yell at the ceiling would have been a gorgeous picture. Unfortunately, the only one who thought this scene was indeed funny was Odin. Holding his belly and laughing at the human's behavior he was unable to take the man in front of him serious anymore. Dean just threw him a glare which he usually reserved for very bad enemies.  
>"What?" he barked back louder than intended. Odin managed to calm himself down a little and inhaled deeply before answering.<br>"It seems to me that your little friend has met my dear little boys. I have to admit, I didn't expect Hugin and Munin to have any effect on angels, but apparently they do! Anyway..." Odin turned toward the other hunters.  
>"When you have found Gungnir, summon me again and I shall keep my promise and take my little crows back to Asgard. Until then, farewell." With this the Norse god turned on his heel and left the house.<p>

"You know, you two should get married. You're already fighting like a married couple!" Bobby said without any sign of humor in his voice. Dean just frowned at the thought.  
>"Yeah, sure. We would kill each other before that happens."<br>"I think he would kill you before you could kill him, actually!" Sam commented smiling. Dean rewarded his brotherly support with a "Shuttup, bitch" before he stomped toward the fridge, getting himself a beer. _Yeah, cold and fresh beer. Me likey_, the hunter thought and downed half of the content with one sip. He kicked the fridge once before he turned around to lean against it.

"Damn you, Cas." Dean growled before he sighed of exhaustion.  
>"Alright. Let's get this spear. Sammy, check the world wide nerdy web and I go for a ride."<br>"Where you wanna go?" Bobby asked following the younger Winchester toward his laptop.  
>"I'll try to get our little friend back to sanity. If I find him that means."<br>"You know, perhaps an apology would suffice!" Dean turned on his heel, glaring at Sam who was not able to hide a little smile.

"Blow me!"

Dean slammed the door shut and stomped toward his Impala.  
>"Servant, tze... you're not our fuckin' servant. If you were, I would treat 'cha differently. Just wait till you get back you half-holy chicken wing..." the hunter murmured while he got into the car and turned the key in the ignition, unaware of the blue eyes watching him from a distance. <p>

Still at Bobby's 

As the door fell shut behind Dean, Sam sighted heartfully and turned his attention to their old friend.  
>"You think it's a good idea to let him go? I mean, Cas, an somewhat powerful, ex-holy, still holy whatever being, being affected by the same that caused those people to kill their beloved and Dean, pissed, unpredictable, stubborn. Don't you think that..."<br>"What do you expect me to say?" Sam got interrupted by the grumpy, rough voice of the old hunter and watched as he rolled towards him.  
>"Go after him and save your brother's ass before the angel gets him? I'm too old for this crap!" he said and turned his wheelchair around.<br>"Right. Fine. So we're going to sit here, search for anything useful and wait till my brother's sore ass gets back?" Bobby stopped in his motion and turned his head back to the young hunter.  
>"Dunno. I'm gonna sit here, drink a beer or two and if everything works out fine, a third." Bobby said with a slight grin on his features.<br>"Well count me in!" Both hunters froze as a third voice entered their conversation.

As they looked for the origin of the voice, they found a grinning god standing behind them.  
>"Since my mind changes as the weather of April" Odin continued, smiling cheerfully.<br>"I thought I'd share some more quality time with you and your obviously splendorous hospitality." The god stood in the middle of the room, hands reaching forward, welcoming the mortals to his reappearance.  
>Sam's eyes travelled back to the other hunter and his lips formed a short "What do we do?" and his reward was a simple shrug. Odin made his way over to the humans, moved past them towards the kitchen, opened the fridge and leaned down. Sam and Bobby narrowed their eyes simultaneously, watching every movement of the god.<p>

When Odin's head reappeared, three bottles of beer were dangling between his fingers. A second later, two of them were flying across the room. Both hunters caught one of the flying bottles with a swift move and stared at each other while the god placed himself on a chair, making himself comfortable and taking a long sip from his bottle, exhaling delightfully.  
>"So you think that your friend is capable to tame an angel of the Lord?" Odin asked with a somewhat fatherly smile which suited his white beard and deep, nearly trustworthy eyes. Sam was the first to regain his balance, holding on to the bottle in his hand while he started to feel a bit smaller in the presence of an ancient godhood.<br>"I think my brother is capable of many things." was his short reply before he also took a sip from his beer.  
>"Some of which he isn't proud of but still, he can do it and I guess it's for your own good if he succeeds, if you want your belonging back." Feeling his self-confidence returning, Sam placed his bottle on top of the table, right in front of the god, holding the other man's stare and adding a smug grin. His brother would have been proud of him for sure. With that thought in mind, he waited for the conversation to continue.<p>

A gap of silence filled the room.

Bobby continued to stare at the ungodly behaving god and decided for himself, that emptying half of his beer was the best he could do right now.  
>"How could you lose something that important anyway? I mean, you didn't simply threw it away or tossed it into the sea did you?" Sam disturbed the comfortable quietness and paid full attention towards Odin's body language. All he received was a blank stare and a slightly twitching upper lip from the god.<br>"If our friend isn't in the mood to help us find your spear, you have to; need to give us at least a bit of information. Where you have lost or, as you said, misplaced 'Gugnir'. Otherwise it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack." Sam continued his monologue and kept waiting for any response, which finally dripped from Odin's lips.  
>"It's not that simple. It's not like a pen misplaced by a simple mortal." Odin said a bit grumpier than before but kept calm nonetheless.<p>

"I guess if you tried to explain it we could try to understand your complexity of loosing something that important." Sam made another step forward, winning some ground on the none-existing battlefield. Another moment of silence followed in which the Winchester could nearly see the god's thoughts building up inside his brain, deciding how worthy the humans in front of him were, to receive any kind of information.

Sam Winchester, son of John and Mary Winchester and little brother of Dean Winchester.

Odin did not care about their names nor their fate or exploits. It did not matter to him how many lives they saved or how many they failed to rescue. He wanted his spear, his Gugnir, back and somewhat he even wanted to meet with his old feathery friends again, but he would not do so, until he got what he wanted. If sharing some blurry memories would bring his belonging back into his arms it was probably worth a shot.

His decision was clear.

As he took another sip from his beer, grimacing at the cheap taste of it, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for the story he was about to tell.  
>"I don't wanna be an excited little school girl on her first day but people keep dyin'. So are you gonna tell us anything or should we start hitting the books or the magic called Google already?" Bobby's respect for the beer consuming godhood was shrinking slowly and since he, Odin, said he did not care for them, he did not fear the ruler of Asgard. Not at all. Bobby Singer was too old to fear anything but death himself.<br>Odin and the younger hunter stared at the man sipping from his bottle when a loud, cheerful laugh escaped the god's throat. _Mood swings_, Sam thought while he took a seat next to Bobby. Who knew how long the story would actually be?

They waited for the god to finish and finally start his long awaited story of how he lost his spear. Breathing harder than before, his face a little bit flushed around his cheeks, Odin kept snickering for another minute before his face returned his old, wise and refocused expression. Some kind of pain was lingering in his eyes, like a loss he never expected to affect him still after ages, centuries, or even millennia had passed. He took in a deep breath and folded his hands.  
>"Even though mortals and immortals are different and not alike in the slightest, I have to admit that there are some similarities in the behavior of different entities. So to say. We are different from the core but some little parts of that core act and think the same sometimes."<br>"We got it. We're maggots so what about that spear?" Bobby interrupted Odin once more and started to get more and more eager to start some proper research in one of his huge books. The god gnarled at the disturbance of his speech, but came to the conclusion, that it was worthless to speak in a way the humans would not even appreciate nor understand.  
>"As the world is about to end, I shouldn't even care for something like a lost, long wielded weapon since everything, even I will find my end when the curtain finally falls, but as you're feeling so confident in your capabilities I shall give you the information you seek!" Odin stood up from the chair and walked past the human creatures.<p>

"After a long and fair fight, we held a huge feast. I got a bit too intoxicated with a few liquids and all I remember is that either Freya or Jörd dared me to show them if I still had the strength in me after all those years. Gugnir was close by and I grabbed him hard and tossed him somewhere out of sight. I didn't even have any special place in mind, at least I hope so. I can't remember much from that night since it was a long and gleeful week of revelry and carousing. I lost my spear but got a few more suns in exchange. Not bad if you ask me."

An obnoxious grin spread across the god's features as he tried to remember some details of that party himself, but the thought of his stupidity to proof something everyone already knew and losing his trustworthy weapon made his chest hurt a little.  
>"So let me get this straight. You have no idea where the hell you dropped that thing and your story is not helping us in any possible way, right?" Sam summarized Odin's words while he simply shook his head a few times in disbelieve. That could not be it. If that was all they got for their search they seriously had to look for a straw of hay in a pile of needles.<p>

_We're screwed_, was all Sam could come up with and he placed his head on top of the table while his fingers started to unzip his bag and take out his laptop. It would be a long day groping in the dark if his brother did not manage to calm the angel down; no matter whether they were able to get the spear themselves or not. The young Winchester sighed heavily while the familiar search screen of his chosen browser popped up. 

Meanwhile 

"Outlaw... cut down in your prime. Outlaw... see the blue sky one last time. Outlaw... that's all." Dean was banging his head without caring about any other drivers on the street. He was a good driver but got easily distracted by certain songs. Especially this one. After the hunter had left Bobby's place he had turned on the radio. The songs in the first hour were completely frustrating and Dean was close to giving up and intending to listen to one of his old tapes, but then a song was played that actually suited him quite good.

"Die or live, shoot to kill. The old routine you know so well. Gun law rules, that's what I said. Another dreamer woke up dead." The Winchester yelled, releasing all his anger. He had been swearing the whole time, sent the worst abuse to heaven, knowing that Castiel would hear him. But everybody needed a break every now and then; and this was Dean's. While throwing the words of the song at the rearview mirror he did not notice that the very angel he was currently very angry with appeared in the passenger seat.  
>"Born to live, don't know how long. Never know right from wrong..."<br>"Hello Dean."  
>"Outlaw... face down in the holy fuck!" The car broke out of its lane and earned some angry horn blows from a truck driver.<p>

"Fuck... Cas!"

The Winchester stopped his car at the breakdown lane and turned to look at the angel. Needless to say that this oh so frustrating angel was unaware of any wrongdoing.  
>"I don't know how." was the calm answer which made Dean back off for a second.<br>"Uhm... what?" "You said to fuck. I don't know how." Understanding, Dean nodded slowly.  
>"Oh... oooh... oooouuhh..." He had finally understood completely what the angel had meant and this was something he actually never wanted to hear. Ever! Dean cleared his throat and put on a weak smile.<br>"Well... uhm. What do you think about telling me what you know, then? Like... what the hell just happened back at Bobby's?" Castiel turned to face the Winchester, leaning his back against the door. First, he remained silent, but before the hunter could add anything else, the angel spoke up.  
>"I believe I said that I am not your slave, Dean." Dean's brows shot upwards.<p>

"Uhm... yes, we established that, but what makes you think that in the first place? I mean, nobody intended to treat you like a slave." Castiel tilted his head.  
>"Dean, who is the one always calling for help when he is unable to do something, or does not know? I believe it is you." The hunter sighed.<br>"Yes, perhaps, but this is because you're family. And family helps each other. And right now it's you who needs help!"

"What makes you think I need help?" the angel asked and leaned forward. Dean fought the urge to back off. An angel would never intimidate him. At least not Castiel.  
>"Perhaps you didn't notice it, but you got your mind screwed! And not just a little, if you understand!"<br>"No Dean, I don't understand." Dean shook his head.  
>"Odin's birds, they have the same effect on you as they have on those peasants in this town. Which means..."<br>"I am becoming more human." the angel said, cutting him off.  
>"Yes. And this is exactly the reason why you should have stayed at Bobby's." Castiel left out a sigh.<p>

"How often do I have to tell you that I did not want to stay at his place, Dean. Why can't you understand something as simple as that? I am not here for your convenience, Dean. I am not your servant. I believe I already told you that." The hunter rolled his eyes.  
>They were getting nowhere with this, it was always the same: Walking in circles.<br>"Yeah, I know: you're not my slave, you're a real soldier, holy duty and everything, you're heaven sent, blablabla."

The shattering of a window shut Dean up immediately. Castiel had moved fast, too fast. He had moved forward, and punched his fist right through the Impala's window on the driver's side.  
>Dean did not even want to accept what had just happened. He simply ignored it for good. Besides, he was more concerned about the angel's face, which was really close to his now.<br>"Do not talk to me like that, Dean. You have no right. You are always the one requiring my help. You always call. It's always you... always." Dean gulped.

Castiel withdrew his arm and looked at it annoyed.  
>"I am bleeding." He turned his hand a little and watched carefully as the blood worked its way out of the small wounds. When another hand came into his sight he looked up to the owner's face.<br>"And why did you have to do this now?" Dean got off the car when he realized that he needed more than just his hands. Opening the trunk, he kept swearing until he had found what he was looking for. When he got back into his seat he grabbed Castiel's hand and started to clean it.  
>"This was ridiculous. Don't act as if this was completely my fault, because it's not. It's yours as much as mine!"<br>"Stop this, Dean." When Castiel tried to move his hand back, the hunter used all his strength against it.

"I'm gonna stop when I'm done. Not sooner. And we're far from done!" Dean growled and continued rubbing a simple cloth over the angel's hand.  
>"I said: Stop this, Dean." The angel pushed the hunter away aggressively so that he fell out of the car.<p>

"Okay. Fine. So it's funny beat-up time again, I guess." Dean rose to his feet and walked to the passenger's side, opening the door and waiting that the angel got off. Castiel, though, was not willing to follow, so he remained seated and just looked up at the hunter. The hunter snarled.  
>"What's wrong Cas? Need an invitation, or what? Get off. You can beat the shit outta me and everything will be alright till next time."<br>"Is this what it is all about? Hurting you like they did in hell?"

The hunter blinked, unable to say or do anything. He simply watched Castiel getting off the car to be on eye-level again. "Do you miss hell so much that you have to make me... angry, in any way possible, so I hurt you?"

It would have been a lie if Dean knew what to reply on that, because he did not. The angel made another step toward the knocked off hunter. Looking the man directly into the eyes, Castiel continued.  
>"You still think you deserved the torture and pain. Is this why you make me angry? To punish yourself through me? You are so wrong, Dean. I am not here to judge you. If somebody needs to be judged it should be me. I failed." Unlike the last times, Castiel stepped back and lowered his gaze.<p>

If Dean was honest, he had expected a punch, everything but what actually had happened. The older Winchester was not keen to talk about hell, but he could not drop the subject either. There were things he did not want to talk about. As in ever! And this was one of those things.  
>"Cas... we're not going to talk about this. You hear me? Hell is history and it will remain as such. And you and I will get back into this car and get that friggin' spear for that friggin' god." Dean's voice was a deep growl when he finished his little speech, every fiber in his body urging him to stop.<p>

Right now, he did not want to deal with a sexually frustrated, outraged and confused angel as he was confused and angry himself. _And definitely frustrated too_, the low voice in his head added. Dean cleared his throat and frowned, waiting for any reply. When nothing seemed to happen, the hunter asked again.  
>"Cas?" The angel returned the gaze and Dean was very sure, he already knew the answer.<br>"I'm sorry, Dean. I can't." The Winchester sighed of exhaustion and despair. He had never been the most patient one.  
>"Cas, god dammit, why? Tell me why? Did those birds mess up your head that much that you can't even think straight or what? Do I need to crawl in front of you to get your ass to that spear? Tell me what I must do."<p>

Dean ran a hand through his hair and turned on his heel to take a few steps away from the angel.  
>"You never say 'please'." Dean almost choked on his own air when he heard the defensive voice of the angel. When he turned around, all he could do was to stare at this very angel.<br>"Uhm... uh..." The hunter closed his mouth and cleared his throat one more time.  
>"Castiel, could you please help me in getting the spear to Odin so he can take his birds back?" Why the hell did he feel so horrible? And if that was not even enough, his mouth continued spilling word without his permission.<p>

"And since we're already on it. I am also sorry that I boss you around like some slave, because you aren't and I never intended to do so, but that's just how I am. We need to get this job done without any casualties. I have to take care of you because you apparently don't and I don't want to have you on Bobby's couch again bleeding all over and pale like a friggin' ghost because you made a deal with a demon to help me get my baby brother back, and I'm also sorry that..." A finger touching the hunter's lips shushed Dean in an instance.  
>"Enough. It's enough, Dean. I will get you the spear. Wait for me, it might take a while, though. It is... not easy to get, but I promise I will bring it to you."<p>

With this, the angel disappeared in a fluttering of wings, leaving a stunned Dean Winchester behind. 

Back at Bobby's 

Sam sighed. Having a god as a drinking partner was not something he ever wanted to have. Unlike him, the Norse god seemed to enjoy his short stay at the older hunter's house. Right now, both were sitting in the living room and talking about god and the world. Literally. Sam had managed to get back to his laptop and was currently doing some research in case his brother screwed up and Castiel did not help them out. The whole charade went on for two hours until they could hear the Impala's drumming engine arriving outside. The young hunter looked up when the door opened and an insanely wide smiling Dean Winchester entered the house. Ignoring the Norse god, he stomped directly toward his baby brother, who had raised his brows expectantly.

"I'm awesome." Dean simply said and grinned like a boy who had just kissed a girl for the first time. Sam blinked, unable to reply anything to that.

"Come... again?"  
>"I'm the master of sweet talkin', Sammy." the younger Winchester's eyes went wide.<br>"You mean, he's getting Gugnir for us?" His brother nodded enthusiastically.  
>"Oh yeah, he does." Looking over to Bobby, the older hunter frowned.<br>"What is he still doing here?"  
>"He is waiting for what's his, boy. And am I the only one who is now wondering how he managed to get the angel to help him after that scene a few hours ago?" Odin retorted and all eyes were back on the older Winchester.<p>

"Uhm... well..." Already trying to come up with a good lie, Dean's cell phone started to vibrate in his jacket. Sending a quiet prayer to whoever did that, he pulled it out and answered the call. After a moment, he laid his gaze on his brother and mouthed the word 'Nick'. Sam nodded and started to gather his things.  
>"We will be there. Yepp. Got it. Later." When Dean hung up he marched past Bobby and the god.<br>"Where're you goin' boy?"  
>"Job! And when we're back, grumpy, old Norse god will have his staff back. See ya guys later." Odin snarled displeased.<p>

"That's a spear, boy, not a staff." Bobby simply shrugged.  
>"He'll never get it right. Forget it."<p>

Outside, Dean caught his baby brother's questioning look.  
>"What?" he asked. "What happened to the window?" Dean raised an eye brow. He shrugged.<br>"Oh that. That was a misunderstanding." With a smile on his lips, the hunter got behind the steering wheel and revved the engine. Without turning toward his brother he said: "Let's get this done and then I do not want to hear anything about this shit, you hear me, Sammy. I'm not kidding."

The ride had been quiet and very uncomfortable. Sam was annoyed that his brother did not want to share what had happened between him and the angel and Dean was annoyed that his baby brother always had to be so damn curious. Especially in this regard.

Once the brothers had arrived at the police station, Nick was already in front of the building, awaiting them. Dean parked the Impala right beside the sheriff's Dodge. "What happened to your window?" "Kids." Dean deadpanned and got off his baby. "So, what's the matter? Why did you call? Another case?" "You could call it like that but this time it's even worse. Murder, kidnapping and religious motives and children all in one and the same case." Dean grinned a little.

"So what happened? Are we talking about some kids killing their parents and eating pigs alive or what?" "I don't get your point agent." Nick was not following the reference for an old movie featuring exactly what Dean had said just now. Sam could not believe his brother was up for jokes at this point of time but it did not help to remind him over and over again. It was simply useless. "Since you ask, it's not like that. One of our most respected townsmen, reverend Brown, seems to have fallen into some kind of religious trauma. As far as I'm informed he has lost his mind, like the others but we don't know how many victims have already fallen into his hands. He kidnapped several infants, killed some of their parents, if they happened to be at home and right now we've managed to locate the place where he hides the children but it's too dangerous to simply walk in. He could use any of them as a hostage. We can't risk getting any child in danger." "And that's when we enter the scene." Dean said, confident that they would get that poor confused bastard out of there and at,least save the kids before the reverend started to slaughter them too. "Exactly. Our squad lost way too many officers so we need any help we can get and you're welcome to help us out and since the FBI is trained to talk to psychopaths and kidnappers, I'm sure we can use your qualities in this case." Sam laid one hand on the other man's shoulder.

"You can count on us sheriff. We'll save those kids and your town." he said and smiled hopefully. Nick brought up a little smile but he could not effort a real one. "Let's just hope we're not too late. We're gonna take my car." Turning his back to the officers Dean felt a huge need to protest, leaving his hurt baby behind was not in his intentions but Sam poked him with his elbow. "Move it Dean. You car will wait for you right here." he whispered to his brother and directed him to follow the sheriff. Dean threw a wishful look back to his Impala but Sam was right. "I'll be back as soon as possible and you'll get a new shiny window my dear." he said more to himself than to anyone else and followed the sheriff to his Dodge.

"So, were do you guys think that guy hides the kids? Any huge basements or old bunkers in this town?" The younger hunter asked while he sat down on the backseat. "Actually it wasn't that difficult to locate Brown. We're heading straight to the town's church. Beneath the church are big maze-like catacombs. We assume the kids have been taken there. Just hope that we get there in time." With that the sheriff started the engine and drove down the lane.

"Where's mommy? I wanna see my mom. Can I go back now?" The little girl looked up into the shadows which once resembled the kind and understanding eyes of their reverend. Dark rings were already visible under his eyes and his always happy and smiling face had turned into a haunted caricature of the man he used to be. "No my dear. It's safer for you to stay here. See, you can play with your friends and don't have to worry about your mother or father anymore. I'll take care of you and you won't be harmed as long as you behave like a good little girl." Brown patted the head of the girl and forced her down the stairs, where another group of children was cowering in a corner. "But I wanna go home! It's stinky down here and dark I don't wanna be here." The girl continued now trying to move past the reverend but was gripped by her left arm by the much stronger and faster man. He tightened his grip and the girl shrieked at the sudden pain, while he shoved her down the stairs and into the group of ten other children. "You don't understand. It's dangerous outside. The world will only hurt you with its lies and fake promises and temptations. You mustn't fear my little ones. I'll protect you and keep your eyes and ears pure and unpolluted from this cruel world." While he spoke, one of the little older boys stood up from the ground and started to run towards a door. With two fast steps, Brown was behind him and grasped him by his hair.

"I told you to stay here! Why won't you understand that it's only for your best? I only wish for you to mature into pure human beings free from any kind of pollution! Why won't you understand that, Jeremy?" While he dragged the boy back into the middle of the room, he tore at the young boy's hair and made him obedient. Little cries and sobs were hearable not only from Jeremy but also from the rest of the frightened children. When he reached the right place he let go of the boy's head and simply patted him on it. "I also told you I didn't want to punish you. None of you, but if you don't learn to behave and be good I have no other way but to teach you. I don't want to hurt you but you leave me no choice. Will you behave from now on or do I have to teach you a lesson?" Brown started fumbling in his robe, expecting to get another misbehaving reply from any of the kids but no one spoke up and no one dared to move except for their tears which were running down those little flushed red cheeks. "I thought so." He placed the object of his intentions, to enforce punishment with, back under his robe and made his way towards the door. "I'll be back soon. Don't call out or try to flee. I'll find you and I'll promise you I won't show any mercy for those who fail my orders." With that he left the cellar, closed the huge wooden door and locked it behind him.

Back in the Car

Dean felt like he was falling asleep. He was incapable of understanding how the man left to him was able to drive at a steady speed toward the church where several children were being held hostage. Right now, they were waiting for the traffic light to turn green._ Awesome_, he thought, desperately trying to come up with something to make the sheriff drive faster. At the next red light, Dean snapped. "Seriously?" He looked at Nick like he was going to jump at him every second. The other man simply raised an eye brow. "I really think you should drive a little faster. This might be an emergency, you know?" Gesturing toward the street in front of them, Dean was trying his best to be as polite as possible.

Nick shrugged. "There is nothing I can do about the traffic; it's the normal rush hour. Besides, it's time for the children to go home now. I can't afford to bump into one." "But the street is fuckin' emptyyyyy..." The older hunter cried out desperately, looking at his brother, who did not even seem to be stressed at all. Nick threw a glance at the younger Winchester. "Seems you are more used to busier times than a small town rush hour. You ever did some chasin' on the highways?" Staring at the dozens of cars Nick passed by, Sam wondered what had gotten into his brother. Absent minded he shrugged off an answer for Nick's question: "Yeah, could say that."

It felt like hours until they reached the church and got off the car. At least to Dean. Everything seemed a little surreal and he was the only one affected by it. Before the hunter could follow Nick his brother grabbed his arm and pulled him into a halt. "Dude, you alright?" Dean shrugged. "Yes, kinda... I think. Just ignore it. Let's get this done, Sammy." he said and continued his way toward the sheriff and his team. The other deputies were already spilling all their information for Nick. Once the brothers joined the small meeting it was easy for them to set up a game plan. It was one of the Winchester's standard methods: Getting in, best if from the back and unexpected, saving whatever needed to be saved and killing whatever needed to be killed. Dean threw his brother a glance which was returned promptly. "Nick, we might need a map for the surroundings. Blue prints and everything you've got for the church and the sewers."

A few of the deputies frowned. "What d'ya need'em for?" Sam forced up a smile. "Well, as far as we are aware of, there seem to be catacombs beneath the town. All possibilities need to be considered." he replied and took the map, retreating with his brother to a car further away from the legal - and apparently useless - force. Both hunters bent over the map and as soon as Sam's eyes were on the colored line in front of him, they started to trace something down. Dean knew better than to interrupt his brother. A little smile curled his lips upward. This was his baby brother. His Sammy. The Winchester with the brains in the family.

Not even ten minutes later, Sam looked up. His eyes having the certain spark in them telling Dean that his brother had a plan. "All set?" "All set!" Sam replied and his brother started to wink the sheriff over.

"Chief, we've got an idea here." Dean said while Sam was guiding his finger over the plan the other officer had just brought them. "There's something like a tunnel. Like an old duct or something. They probably used that to evacuate if the building was under attack. I guess if we find the entrance on this site, we can go in without being noticed and get those kids outta there." The younger Winchester tapped the map a few times and threw the sheriff a hopeful smile. "Leave it to us. You just try to keep the man busy but be careful. Who knows what he does if you're too forceful. Infected people can snap pretty fast." Sam finished, folded the map hastily and made his way towards the church.

"Infected? Infected by what?" Nick was confused for a moment and was not sure if the agents really knew what they were doing. "Don't even mind. FBI stuff. Now let's do this." Dean rubbed his hands together and ran off with his brother, aiming for the back of the huge building, searching for the entry of the long closed and forgotten manhole.

"Sheriff, it seems like Brown has closed the doors from the inside permanently. We try to open them up but we can't simply break through." An officer reported, looking stressed and puzzled at the situation. "Get me a damn megaphone. Let's keep that guy busy. Maybe play some unholy rock music or whatever, just try to make noise and distract that guy." "Pardon?" The confused look on the other man was somewhat priceless but Nick had no laugh left inside of him anymore. Instead he growled deeply and moved past him. "Just do as I said and it'll be fine. Hopefully. We've got the FBI on our side and these guys know what they're doing. We can't disappoint them." With that they got to work.

While Sam kept groping through sick grass and angry ants, Dean was way more successful in his search. He stepped on top of a something wooden and hollow. "Jackpot." Grinning, he lent down and ripped a few pieces of grass and dirt out. Two big rocks were placed right on top of the old wooden cover. With the help of his brother they moved it out of the way and opened the well. An awful smell made its way up to their noses and the younger hunter waved his hand in front of his face. "Like a good wine Sammy. You have to close it for aeons to make it perfect. C'mon!" Dean did not even hesitate a second and simply sat down on the edge of the well, moving down slowly and turning the switch of his flashlight to ON. All he could make out was darkness, a smell like something fell into a bathtub, died and was found 3 weeks later and much to his surprise a few rusty metal rungs in the wall of the well.

He stepped on one of them, pressing down and testing if it would endure their weight. It did not move or make a sound and with a shrug he turned over to crawl and rob down the stinky tunnel. Sam followed suit, pulling his shirt over his nose but it was no use. The smell would cling to them and he would smell it all the way home too. "Couldn't we've simply call for Cas to knock that guy out for us? I mean, it would've saved us some time and effort if you could just ask him and maybe add a few polite lines." The young Winchester clung to one of the rusty things and his foot searched for the next step down. Dean rolled his eyes in his head and decided the well could not be that deep and jumped from the ladder.

The next thing Sam could hear was a loud 'Ouch' followed by a few curses towards the heavens and maybe even towards hell. He took his time to take each step slowly and finally caught up with his brother who was back on his feet, trying to clean the nasty, sticky, wet dirt from his clothes. To no avail. "So which way is it?" Dean rubbed his hands against his trousers and made little disgusted noises. Lucky for him the dirt was only rotten plants and ground nothing like the sewers they were normally forced to crawl through. "So which way is it?" he asked again. The older hunter tried to ignore the fact that Sam was grinning at him for his stupidity. Who would even come to the conclusion to simply jump down a dark hole? Pointing his flash light onto the map, the young Winchester had brought with them, they figured out that this system was way older than they thought and only had a back and forth entry into the deeper parts of the sewer. "Let's go this way. The church wasn't that far away from here so we need to move forward." That was all that Dean needed to hear and with wet and sloppy footsteps, they got moving.

Brown was hugging one of the little girls who had started to cry and shake uncontrollably. He did not want to hurt her and make her cry more, but he had to stop her from getting exhausted before she might collapse. "Everything is alright Jennifer. You'll be happy and save and live a long and pretty life. No one is going to ever take you away from here. From me. Stop crying or do you want to be a bad little girl? Bad girls aren't allowed to stay here my dear. Bad girls need to be punished and thrown out of paradise. You don't want that to happen do you?" he kept talking to her in a way, the girl could not even understand. "I just wanna go home." she said with a sniffle and another row of cries. A loud slamming sound was hearable from outside. The reverend could not deal with the crybaby right now and shoved her back towards the other kids. "I'll be back in a minute. Remember to stay quiet." With that, he left the children behind who clung together in small groups, not caring if they disliked each other at school or anywhere else. They were too scared to care anymore. All they wanted was to go home. When a sudden noise behind them appeared, they startled and grabbed each others hands even tighter. In a corner of the room, the floor seemed to become alive and vibrated violently. Suddenly hair, eyes and a nose appeared in the darkness, shortly followed by another pair peeking around in the darkness. When a light was directed towards the children, they made another move backwards and their eyes went big. Climbing out of the hole, the Winchesters moved forward. Sam placed a finger on his mouth and made a quiet "Shh" towards the children which started to gather around them. They were too loud and if they did not keep their mouths shut, the reverend would notice them. Whatever Brown was doing, he was currently way too busy to care what and why the little lambs made such noises.

The reverend reached the front door, still able to hear the kids. They sounded happy. Maybe they had accepted him as their new leader and protector? With that thought he smiled to himself. Yes. His children would create the perfect world. No fear, no war, no nothing; just peace and harmony. The noise had distracted him. What awful music about bringing god down and spread hate and blood over the seven seas. Only the devil himself would enjoy such kind of music, which should not even be allowed to be called music. It was noise. Angry noise to his ears. His ears indeed, could make out another sound. One of the kids had started to cry again. _Who could it be this time_, he thought and made his way back to his poor unfortunate little lambs. Mislead and misunderstood, they could not even grasp the whole concept of his sacrifice.

"It's not that bad really! Just c'mon we gotta hurry!" Dean kept saying but the little boy ignored him. "It's okay! We've got a flashlight. Here see? It lightens everything." Sam tried his own but when he tried to turn the flashlight on again, it slowly flickered and died away. "Shit." With the light gone, the boy began another row of sobs and screams. It was dark, smelly and he wanted to go home already. "What's the meaning of this?" The voice of reverend Brown was hearable before he even entered the room. Surprised at the return of the reverend, the Winchesters moved in front of the kids as fast as they could. Just as confused as the hunters themselves, Brown stood in the doorway and stared at the two men which had sneaked into his holy room of purity. "Who are you and what are you doing to my children?" he said, no fear in his voice, just confidence, and moved forward.

Prepared to hide and dodge any kind of attack, the brothers moved backwards. "Get away from them. You have no right to be here. I advise you to leave before I need to force you." he continued his walk and path of godly faith. He was the father, the reverend, he had the holy mission to save and protect. "And how are you gonna do that?" Dean had enough. He could not see any kind of weapon or anything dangerous coming from the man. "With the help of god I'll save your souls and the pure souls of every child in this room. I beg you kindly to leave us alone. We don't need your help. All we need is god. And god will be the one to judge everything." He was simply a guy with words, nothing else. Dean realized that as soon as he saw the reverend stretching out his arms, showing how defenseless he was. "Alright buddy. If you want to rely on god. Let's see him try to prevent this fist from scratching your nose." Brown was nervous at the sight of the young man walking towards him, but instead of running away, he moved forward also and reached out in a swift move, grabbing one of the kids by his arm and hid behind him. "In god's name I command you to leave. Now!" Brown screeched and clung to the boy's shoulders. In fact the boy he clung to was his first victim, Jeremy, who had stayed in the darkness of this cellar for what felt like days yet. The reverend's scream resounded from the thick stone walls, as the boy stepped on his foot with whatever force and strength he had left in him.

"Let us go home!" he yelled combined with his tormentor's painful scream. The older hunter took the opportunity to finish the job and gave the reverend his promised kiss with his fist. When Brown's body hit the floor, the cellar went silent for a second, before the kids started to run towards him, over him and out of the huge wooden door, pressing against it with their tiny hands and leaving this nightmare behind them. Only Jeremy was still standing next to the Winchesters. Sam got on eye-level with the kid and smiled at him. "You're a really brave young man. What's your name?" The boy, who seemed to have lost his confidence right away again, lowered his gaze first just to look at the man in uniform again and replied with his full name and a short salute, like his father had taught him to: "Jeremy, Todds. Sir." "You know you should become an FBI Agent when you're older. You've got the guts for that job!" Dean said, grinning big time. "Now let's get outta here before I start to smell any more holy than I need to."

Later

"I still can't believe what he did. He was a respected and beloved man ever since he came into this town. It just makes no sense. None of this does." The sheriff drove the car down the lane, this time ignoring the red lights fully. Brown had been escorted to the police station separately and the Winchesters were back sitting in Nicks car. Sam, on the backseat separated by a fence to keep criminals at a distance and Dean, on the passenger seat next to the sheriff. "Don't worry. This will be over soon. No more people going nuts." The sheriff was not sure if the agent was joking or if he was actually serious. "Really? How do you know?" "Uhm, let's say a bird told me!" Dean said with a cheeky smile, hiding his own disbelieve. Nick raised one eyebrow and stared at the other man sitting next to him. "Sure. I hope you're right. Our town isn't that big. If more people start killing their family, we won't be much of a town anymore. No townsfolk, no town!" The sheriff turned around and drove the car down the lane. They went silent for a few moments before Nick spoke up again. "You know. You and your partner could settle down here. I mean, bring the family, kids and stuff." He sped up and drove around a sharp curve. "It's a nice place. Quiet and peaceful. At least I hope it will be after this nonsense is over." They could already see the police department and Dean's heart made a little jump when he saw his beloved Impala, standing there, waiting for him. "Well sorry but won't happen. Agents aren't supposed to settle down. Always on the roll. We have to be anywhere at any time. Besides, family, my job is my family and my partner is somewhat my wife." Dean threw a grin towards the backseat.

"Always bitchin' and complainin' about each and everything." Sam pouted on the backseat, feeling a bit left out while he watched the other two men through the fence that secured the back from the front seats. "Just because I do the laundry and get the food doesn't mean I'm the female in here _Mr. Hetfield_!" The younger Winchester replied and stressed Dean's fake name especially long. _Who exactly is the guy with the angel crush huh? Just wait till we get back_, Sam thought and tried to act as they were just friendly pranking each other. The sheriff laughed slightly at their foolish behavior but it died away shortly. "You know, I wondered why agent Walsh wasn't around today. I wanted to apologize for my rude behavior. He took a day off or what?" Nick tried to stay calm about the subject but his voice was shaking a bit. Since their last encounter, he had not stopped thinking about the young agent.

Especially his words had hit him hard. "Who?" Dean raised his brows and tried to understand what exactly the sheriff was talking about when it finally hit him. Nick's fingers tightened around the steering wheel. "Ah! Mr. Walsh! Right. Forgot his name for a second." The hunter laughed in annoyance. _Those fake names, I should remember them_. "He stayed back at our quarter. Doing some research and paperwork. You know, intern stuff." The hunter hoped that Nick would not start anything again since the last time they had an encounter, it ended pretty confusing and awkward. "As soon as we're done here he will go back to do research at the main office." he continued and turned his head to look back at his brother, who gave him an odd look, which suddenly changed into an alarmed and warning. "Dean watch out!" The last thing he saw was the barrel of the gun heading towards him. Nick hit him hard against his temple and the hunter fell aside. Dean passed out. "Dean!" Sam yelled on the backseat and moved forward, but he did not get the chance to do anything, since he was pushed back into the seat when Nick suddenly increased the speed and drove the car away from the police department. "Nick! Stop the car! Slow down damnit! What's gotten into you?" The Winchester moved forward once more but he still could not do anything. The fence parting the front and back was way too thin to even reach threw with his fingers.

He tried to bump against it a few times but it did barely move at all. "Shit." he murmured to himself. "You think you guys are so great right? You know everything but you won't even bother to teach the younger ones! You think just because you wear those shiny badges with your little FBI symbol, you're the greatest of them all and the town's sheriff is just another idiot you can push around! I'll show you how stupid this sheriff is!" Nick yelled and his voice got higher with each sentence, while he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal and increased the speed even more. Ignoring any other cars or people crossing the street. While Sam tried to wake his knocked out brother up, Nick drove the car far away from the police station to an empty picnic place a bit outlying of the town. "C'mon Nick, you still could turn around and we pretend you just had a bad day. We can sort this out!" Since waking his brother bore no fruit, Sam tried to convince the sheriff and his hopes got up when the car finally stopped and Nick leaned back into his driver seat. "Nothing against you Mr. Sambora. I know you're a good person. I can feel that deep within me but this guy. He makes me sick to my bones and I dislike people who treat others like garbage. It's time to make a point here. I'm sorry for any inconveniences this may cause but there's no turning back." With that said he got off the car and moved towards the passenger door. He opened it and grabbed the slowly awakening hunter, pulling him out of the car. "Wake up sunshine. We're going for a walk." he said and threw the barely conscious fake FBI agent on the ground.

"Get up and move those pretty legs for me." Giving the hunter a little kick into the side did the trick. Dean managed to look up and met the slightly panicked expression of his brother inside of the car. "It's alright Sammy. Everything will be alright." Coughing he got up to his feet and stared at the sheriff. "So they got you too, uh? That's too bad. I just started to hate you less." He managed to put up a smile but received no sympathy from the uniformed man. "I said move it Hetfield. Or since we're getting closer to know each other, Dean." The older Winchester moved his arms up, turned around and began to walk away from the car. Nick followed suit, pointing his gun towards Dean's head. Sam watched them before he returned to his own mission. He had to get out of the car. His first attempt was to try both doors. Starting with the left one, he prayed in his mind that Nick had been so stupid to not lock it right away. Pressing the handle down and waiting for the door to snap open, he closed his eyes.

The door was locked. Of course it was. The backdoors were always locked. Sighing heavily, Sam remained calm or at least tried to while the sheriff guided his brother further away from the car. While his eyes followed them, he noticed that the window was not fully closed. Shouting himself internally he tried to push the glass down, with no effort. He could not risk making any noise or the sheriff would probably kill Dean right away and himself obviously later. While he buried one hand into his hair, he closed his eyes and let his head sink down. When he opened his eyes again, he was determined to get out of this car no matter the cost. Moving backward to the end of the seat he leaned against the door and started to kick against the window on the other side. Every now and then, he was glancing over to his brother and the sheriff.

The older hunter still felt dizzy and had trouble to walk straight. "Hey, listen! I don't know what your problem is but trust me whatever you're up to, will only hurt yourself and your family! They don't need another loss." Dean turned around and faced the armed man, who had obviously become another victim of Odin's fun seeking birds, just like the rest of the people had been. "Shut up! You don't know anything about my family. Family is bullshit! When the time comes when you really need them, they will leave you! Nobody understands and nobody will listen! Just for the record: Family is an illusion. You grow up with them, you part with them, end of story. Besides, this could've been different you know?" Nick's finger started to play with the trigger, deciding which vital part would do the most damage and kill the agent with one shot. "You're out of your friggin mind damnit!" Dean was not in the mood to die, not by something stupid like a simple bullet from a stupid hillbilly who happened to like the wrong angel. Thinking of that very angel brought up an idea but he was not sure if the sheriff was really that desperate or just confused. "That's what you think. I think I see everything clear for the first time of my life. And you know what I see? I see you've been corrupted by the same thing as me. We're not that different my friend."

"I'm not like you. Not even what you think I could possibly be. You don't know me and you don't know the world yet. The world is cruel and it's up to you to deal with it. Nobody will come and dry your tears or put a band aid on you. You have to do it on your own and killing people or killing yourself is just like hugging a tree. It doesn't change anything." Dean threw his idea back into the plastic bag where it came from surrounded by old dirty socks and ripped jeans. Right now he did not feel like playing his comfort card, he wanted to hurt the guy or at least shut him up for a while. "Enough. I know what you are and I'll save you from what you'll become!" With a clicking sound he unlocked his gun and aimed for the hunter. Still confused at the sheriff's words, Dean could not do anything but stare back and freeze. "Listen, whatever they told you or whatever crazy thought they implanted into you, it's bullshit. There's no need to save me or anybody. The only one who needs to be saved is you but you have to let me go so I can save your ass and your town!" Nick lowered his arm a bit and turned his head towards the ground, staring at his feet as they held the answer for him. As fast as possible, the hunter moved forward. But he was not fast enough. Right when he was in front of the sheriff, the man turned around again and pulled the trigger. A shot was echoing from the huge trees surrounding them. Dean fell down and from somewhere inside the car, Sam's scream was hearable. The older hunter was not yet sure how he was still alive until he realized that he just got shot in the shoulder. Did the sheriff miss him on purpose to toy with him? The Winchester managed to catch himself on his knees and stared at the still aiming sheriff, who looked confused and overwhelmed the same time. Slowly, Dean backed off building up space between him and the aiming man.

In the exact same moment he had pulled the trigger the sound of wings was hearable and an angry looking man in a trench coat had appeared out of nowhere. With the sun in his back, his shadow was taking in everything before him and bathing it into an inhuman darkness. Both men could feel the presence of something old and powerful, but also very furious.

Nick could not believe his eyes as they traveled down the man's figure and towards the ground. The long shadow was reaching for him and aside from the man's silhouette something huge was unfolding. In an instance, Dean knew what Nick was staring at. He had seen them before.

But alongside the huge unfolding wings he noticed something else within the shadow. Something long and... Dean refused to finish this sentence in his head, it just sounded wrong. Instead he said: "You found it!?" The pain in his shoulder started to rush through him but he ignored it as best as he could. Instead he put up a smile. Now they could fix everything. "Dean, don't move." was the short reply from the angel who moved past him and positioned himself in front of the hunter. The spear was reflecting the sun perfectly and increased the force which was radiating off the angel. The angel made a few steps towards him and Nick felt his knees turn into jelly. He got down onto his knees. "What... what..." Incapable of saying anything else, the man just kept staring. Even as Castiel moved his arm to place the tip of the spear under the sheriff's chin he remained frozen. "You dared to touch him. The man who always remained righteous and who is trying to save your kind from extinction. Is this how you show him gratitude?" Castiel's voice had grown from a low and controlled whisper to a booming bark, finishing off in a high-pitched tone that broke the Dodge's windows.

For one second, Dean thought to see the Castiel who had raised him from hell, but it was all wrong, though. His strength was not like then, it was fueled by anger and one thing Dean Winchester knew was that anger was never a good reason. The older hunter had enough of this bullshit. He moved to Castiel's side grabbing him by the shoulder and turning the angel around so he had to face him.

"Cas stop this bullshit! This is madness! And he isn't worth it." Dean turned towards the still aiming sheriff, hoping that Nick did not feel an itch to pull the trigger of his gun again. From the look of it, though, he did not seem to be able to move even if he wanted to. "Just go home and get drunk and sleep. Everything will be fine tomorrow!" Nick's hand was shaking by now, like something inside of him was fighting against the need to shoot. He kept ignoring the hunter, his mind only focused on the man standing beside him. Castiel would kill that guy, Dean knew he would, if he did not leave. "Cas, leave him be. Drop the spear. Please." The last word was merely a whisper and only Castiel could hear it. That very angel was still glaring at the sheriff but quickly laid his eyes on his charge, his target, his reason: Dean Winchester. "Cas, let's go okay? We can leave this town behind, get that stupid god his stupid spear and everything will be back to normal." His voice was not as secure as he wanted it to be. The angel was dangerous in his current state at least to any other being not carrying the name Dean Winchester. "I'll get Sam and we..." Before he could even end his sentence Castiel made a swift move and heaved the hunter off the ground, pressing him closer, using the spear to keep the human in that tight embrace.

Sam, who finally had managed to escape the car could not believe his eyes, as he saw the angel and his brother in that ridiculous pose. "Cas! Let me down immediately or I swear...!" The rest was cut off when the pull of gravity increased for a slight moment, causing the hunter to close his eyes. The next thing Dean saw the familiar interior of Bobby's living room.

While Nick said goodnight and fell unconscious, Sam took out his cell phone and dialed Bobbie's number. "The spear is about to be delivered." he simply stated and received the prompt answer. "Already here kid." Bobby and Odin had been busy emptying a few more bottles and talking about ancient history, when suddenly the papers flew across the room. Castiel was still pulling Dean close to him and prevented any movement from the hunter with the spear. Without taking his eyes off the hunter, Castiel moved one arm and pointed the base of the spear toward Odin. "Here is what you wished for. Now call your ravens back." Odin took his time to realize what was pointed at him when the spear nearly called out for him with a humming sound. Without any more hesitation, he reached towards his property, claiming it as his own. While the god started to brush his fingers over his old weapon and friend, Dean tried to get a bit of his personal space back. No matter how he tried, Castiel's grip did not loose up.

"If you two need a room go upstairs." Bobby joked and before he could even blink, the two men were gone again. "Idjits."

"Cas let me down already!" Complying, the angel let go of the hunter. Dean cursed when he was simply thrown onto the bed. He should have been more precise with his order, he figured. Before he could even think of a different order he saw a coat flying across the room. "Holy shit." The hunter's eyes went wide. "Cas stop it whatever it is you're doing." Climbing onto the bed, Castiel leaned forward. His eyes were constantly resting on the hunter. "I already told you, Dean. I am not your servant. I have my own free will." _Oh god, oh god, please help me._ The hunter gulped. "Cas. Stop this or I will hurt you. Even if this will also mean that I hurt myself." Castiel stopped for a split second before he tilted his head before he replied. "But Dean, we already had this. You can't. And this time, I will not let you." _Oh shiiiit_. Taken aback by the sudden force the angel exerted on him, Dean decided to let Castiel have it. Hard. He moved his knee upward, trying to kick Castiel into his guts, but in vain. The angel simply prowled forward and pinned the hunter down again. Why had this angel to be strong when he was supposed to be weak?!

Right when he got pushed into the sheets he felt his shoulder scream in pain. Blood was ruining Bobbie's bed but the hunter had no time to feel sorry for himself. "You know, I'm bleeding pretty bad here, buddy. So if you want to have a proper fight you need to heal me first." He did not try to give in to whatever it was the angel was up to but he hoped to distract him as much as possible. Just to buy some time. "Beg me." Dean was not sure if he had understood the angel right. "Come again? You serious? What's this to you? A game or something?" Castiel moved his hand upwards and grabbed the Winchesters shoulder, hard, making the human flinch under his touch. "I said beg me. Beg me to heal you. Pray to me and beg I shall heal you." The angel's voice was low and threatening but Dean had been through worse than a simple shot. It was the way the angel said it that made him furious. "Cas this isn't even funny. If you seriously want to be a dick right now then go fuck yourself!" he tried to get up again but as soon as he tried, the grip on his shoulder increased painfully. "Fuck." While the human was mumbling curses to himself, the angel let go of his shoulder.

As soon as both men were on eye-level, Castiel lowered his head, smashing his lips on the hunter's. Dean froze. Incapable of doing anything, he just stared at the blue orbs right in front of him before he turned his head to the side, breaking the kiss. "Cas, I know this isn't you. You're just doing what those birds tell you to but I know, somewhere in your thick brain you can hear me! Stop this in an instance." But his words bore no fruit and the angel continued nonetheless.

Once Castiel let go of the hunter, he sat up, nailing the body beneath him by straddling his chest. Pulling at the hem of his shirt, he practically ripped it off his torso. Bending downwards again, he caught the hunter in another fierce kiss. But who would Dean Winchester be, if he did not know how to handle crazy admirers? Opening his mouth and inviting the angel to deepen the kiss, Dean caught Castiel's lower lip and bit as strong as he could. The angel yanked back. When he tasted his own blood he hissed disapprovingly but did not pay much attention to it. Instead, he started to tear on the hunter's shirt, failing, when this very hunter's hands started to stop him. Grabbing the man's wrists with one hand, Castiel pinned the intervening hands above Dean's head. Once the angel had managed to get a hold of the hunter's shirt he pulled it over the man's head, using it to keep the fighting hands at bay. "Cas, damnit!" Yelling in rage and a bit in pain as his wounded shoulder was stretched like this, he hissed displeasingly.

Again, only mere millimeters were between the hunter and the angel. "That's not you. Nothing like you." The hunter nearly whispered before his voice rose again. "Wake up goddamnit!" To his surprise, Castiel did stop. He seemed to contemplate for a second before wrinkles covered his forehead. "But Dean, this is me. This is what you have made out of me." Dean had a breakthrough, at least he hoped he had, but he would not wait to find out how long it lasted. "I can't believe it. Seriously Cas, those birds got 'cha good." The angel kept staring at the hunter, frozen in all his movements and waited for more words to leak out of that mouth in front of him. "I don't follow." "Of course you do. If Odin was right, you just wanted to do this all along." The hunter stated matter-of-factly as if the situation was just made to talk things through. He tried to move his hands free but right when he started to move, Castiel fastened the grip again. A low laugh left the Winchester's mouth. "So nothing to say to that? Fine. I will continue then. Maybe these things force you to do this but it's pretty sad to know that something like space-birds are necessary to be honest with me."

Dean decided that if fighting was no use, he needed other methods to get through to the angel. As he let the words sink in, he tried to move his lower back a bit. Castiel did not move and stayed silent. "Just kiss me already!" Hoping that no one had heard what he had just said, he waited for anything to happen. "Hmmnn." was the only reply he got from the angel before he leaned down again, a smile across his face. Castiel placed his still sore bitten lips on the human's. This time, Dean did not bite him back. It was a chaste kiss at first, but it soon became obvious that it was not enough. As soon as the angel had opened his mouth he could feel the hunter's tongue slide in and nudge against his own. Dean moved his head slightly to part their lips. Before Castiel caught the other's lips again, the hunter managed a breathless "Hands..." To his surprise, the angel obeyed. He let go of the hunter's wrists and traveled his fingers down to his still bleeding shoulder. Since Castiel was still sitting on his torso, Dean was not able to move much, but he did not need to. His hands found their way to the angel's back themselves, while the pain in his shoulder started to faint and got replaced by a warm sensation, he moved downwards to the hem of the jeans.

Tracing his fingers along the hemline, Dean became aware of the bulge in Castiel's jeans. Parting the kiss again, he pulled on the angel's pants."Dean?" "You need to move further down. Like that one time in the hotel. You remember?" Castiel nodded, got up to his knees and crawled backwards, while Dean shook his left arm to finally get rid of the shirt which was still hanging and handicapping him. The hunter pulled a face. _Bloody shirt, get off_. Once Castiel had let himself down again, Dean's mind was focusing again on the more important things. Not the shirt, not the fact that others might be able to hear them. The only thing that mattered now was the pressure the angel exerted on his lower half. "Don't just sit there..." he hissed and got up himself. "Move!"

Obediently, Castiel started to move forwards, just a little. Seeing the hunter inhale some air, he figured it was the right thing and moved backwards, earning a soft sigh. Surprised, Dean looked down at himself. He had not noticed how much of a turn-on the whole situation had been. Now, that he was aware, it made the whole situation more embarrassing, awkward and definitely regrettable in Dean's eyes, but after several weeks of ignorance, he really needed this himself. The hunter cursed. "Dammit Cas, I'm not made of glass and you're usually not so reluctant with your strength either. Harder!" Starting to move against the angel, Dean lifted and lowered his hips as much as possible, increasing the friction.

"Dean..." Dean bit down a deep growl, when he heard Castiel say his name. He only noticed partially, that the angel's voice sounded differently. He would have to think about it later, now, he had shut down his brain and the voice telling him that he was just humping an angel. And then, there it was again: "Dean..." Opening his eyes, which he did not recall to have closed them in the first place, the hunter looked at the slightly blushed face of his angel. "What?" "They're gone, Dean..." Incapable of processing the angel's words, Dean increased the speed of his movements, being repaid by a surprised gasp. "Dean, Odin... he is gone." "Good..." Not really replying to what Castiel just had said, Dean shut his eyes again. "The ravens are gone too. You can stop now, Dean. Stop." "What?" That was something the hunter definitely was able to process, because as soon as Castiel had spoken the words, he had moved away from the Winchester. A deep growl escaped Dean's throat. Opening his eyes again, he glared at the angel now standing in front of the bed. _Not again. Not now._ "Cas, if you know what's best for you, then you come back here at once." The angel lowered his head. He truly felt ashamed and incapable of looking into the Winchester's eyes. "I'm sorry Dean." Trying to regain control over his body and to ignore the pressure coming from his crotch, Castiel stirred. "Cas... Castiel!"

Hearing his charge cursing, Castiel remained silent. "Cas... you're not gonna disappear now, because I swear, if you do so I will burn your little wings as soon as you show up again." The angel flinched. Not understanding why the hunter's voice gave him goosebumps. Dean let out a frustrated cry. "Cas..." Immediately, the angel found himself staring at the hunter's eyes, mouth, crotch? Frowning, Castiel averted his eyes, hoping the other man had not noticed it, but Dean beat him to it. "You kinky little angel. Trying so hard and we both know you want it too. You wanted it all time long and now that you can have it, you don't want it anymore. Really?" A smug grin worked its way onto the hunter's lips. _Two can play this game Cas, and I'm not gonna get beaten by a holy virgin_.

Placing his hand onto his crotch he tipped onto it, biting down a moan that just formed in his throat. If Castiel wanted to play, he would play; making sure that he would win. Unbuckling his belt, Dean said: "You have two options now, Cas. One: You can join me. Or two: You stay put while I'm so gonna jerk the hell off." Again, the angel did not move an inch. However, Dean could see this very angel's fist clench. He nodded understanding. "Fine. Suit yourself." Before he even knew what he was about to do, to be honest he knew exactly what he wanted to do but not without a little bit of music to cover up whatever noise he was about to make. Leaning over to the nightstand he turned the little old radio on and cranked up the volume. First he thought, he had chosen the perfect track since the beat was quite cheezy but when a voice started to sing something about an angel with a shotgun and fighting till the war was won, he changed the channel immediately. Dean waited for the radio to locate a new channel and when a voice started to sing: _I am the only and every man. I am a victim of circumstance, _he knew he had found the beat that would prevent anything from leaking through the door and downstairs.

Opening button and fly he made himself comfortable again. Undecided of what to think of the angel, he pulled pants and briefs down. Before the hunter continued he glanced at the slightly quivering angel. _Some self-control this angel got there_. Turning his attention back toward his erection, the hunter closed his fingers around his member and started to massage it, smearing the already leaked pre-cum over his length. Even though Dean did not want to admit that having Castiel in the same room while jerking off was a turn-on, he took his time. His fingers moved just slightly over the warm flesh and the throbbing became more painful. Pressing his fingers further together, Dean hissed. Immediately, a pair of blue eyes rested on him. Looking up into the angel's eyes, Dean continued stroking himself, increasing pressure and speed. He did not know why he was doing it, but some part of himself enjoyed the sight in front of him a lot: A heavy breathing and shivering angel who looked like he was going to die because all his blood had moved into his cheeks. Dean wanted to laugh but the only sound that left his mouth was a moan when his thumb rubbed over the sensitive glans.

Castiel felt lost. He did not know what to do. No, that was not quite right. There was something he wanted to do, but he did not know whether to do it or not. Unlike the last time when the hunter had touched him, this had felt good. However, it was not quite the same; but still, he had felt the same sensation. And now, the hunter was doing the same thing he had done to him a few nights ago. But he seemed to enjoy it. The moment he had laid his eyes on the man before him, he was unable to avert them again. The sight just made him feel more different? He did not know how to describe it, but what he knew was that it made his stomach curl painfully. Perhaps he had done something wrong? He was curious...

Completely enjoying the feeling, Dean had blocked out his surroundings, only focussed on his hand and crotch. His head back on the pillow, eyes closed and heavily panting, the hunter did not notice the angel stepping closer to the bed. Only when he felt a second thumb - which was definitely not his own - move over the tip of his erection, he startled. Opening his eyes and seeing Castiel sit in between his legs again, he stopped. Once again, blue eyes rested on him. But not for too long. The angel lowered his gaze again, concentrating on the other man's erection when he moved his thumb once more over the tip. The hunter gasped. "Fuck, Cas..." Unsure, Castiel pulled his hand back, but Dean got a hold of it. "Don't."

If there was a time when Dean Winchester sounded any more like an inexperienced highschooler, it was now. As soon as Castiel's fingers were back on his crotch, the hunter gasped in excitement. Stifling a moan, Dean pressed his eyes shut when the angel started to trace his fingers over the burning hot flesh. Once again, he could feel a finger move over his glans, causing him to move his hips upwards. Despite his intention the touch was barely to be felt. "Dammit Cas. What did I say about holding baaaaaaaacksweetjesusdammit..." "Does this please you more, Dean?" Castiel's voice was low when he spoke, keeping his focus blatantly on the Winchester's crotch. "You are very slippery, Dean." Cursing, Dean was back sitting on eye-level with the angel. "No shit Sherlock. Wanna see how you're doin'." Just a second later, the hunter's hand was cupping the bulge in the angel's jeans. Another second later, this very hand had found its way inside those pants, causing Castiel to yelp in surprise. A smug grin plastered the hunter's face. Leaning further forward, Dean pulled the angel's crotch out of his pants, starting to pump it slowly.

Feeling the other man's hand tease him, Castiel stopped his own movements which made the hunter grunt in disapproval. "Cas... you can't stop yet." When the angel did not react, Dean, needy, slid closer to the other body. Castiel was trembling, he could tell, and oddly, it did not bother him. It was more the contrary: Turning him on even more. Not sure, how this was possible, the hunter moved his lips close to the angel's ear. "Finish what you started, Cas." he whispered. To underline his words, Dean rubbed his thumbs over the angel's glans, spreading the hot sticky liquid at the tip all over the dry skin, making him shake even more. However, this was enough to make Castiel continue his actions. Adapting to the Winchester's rythm, he pumped and teased the throbbing cock. "Dean." the angel gasped. "This feels weird." "It's alright. You just need to... need to relax, okay. 's gonna be nice. Promise... fuck!"

Unintended, Castiel leaned farther into Dean's touch, whining. The memory of their last encounter popped up in his head. Remembering how the angel had writhed under his touch; in a rather negative way he had not realized sooner. "Relax Cas. It's nothing bad. You can give in." Another tremble, but then, the posture of the angel relaxed visibly. "Good." It took just another few more strokes to make Castiel cum, followed closely by Dean. "De..." Before the angel could say anything more, the Winchester's hand was on his mouth, shutting him up. "Don't... even... think about it."

Slumping against the hunter's shoulder, Castiel remained silent. He did not even move when Dean leaned against his shoulder. They simply remained silent, thinking. Or, in Dean's case, rather panicking. His own thoughts were currently drowning him. _Shit shit shit shit shit, oooooh, nooo._ Keeping his eyes shut, Dean tried to get a hold of himself, tried to understand why he had done, what he had done. And the excuse of 'trying to get Cas back to normal' was not good enough. A small voice in the back of his head even told him to shut up and admit that it had felt good. But who would Dean Winchester be, if he admitted something that easily. "Dean?" The hunter's eyes shot open. "Yes?" Forcing himself to get some distance between the angel and himself, Dean slid backwards. His brows raised themselves automatically, when he saw the other man's face. _Is this a blush?_ Instead, he asked: "Cas?" Castiel looked around in the small room, as if searching for something, but then his focus was back on his own hands, still dirty with cum. A moment later, those piercing blue eyes stared at the hunter, who awkwardly moved back even more. Castiel inhaled a deep breath before he finally started to speak. "I am sorry. Even though I am thankfull, you should not have..." "Wohohoooo, Cas, stop." The angel frowned on the interruption but did let Dean continue. "We're not gonna talk about this. It just... happened. It was the birds, nothing else. I had to... get you back to sanity somehow. Aaaaand that's it. No buts. Let's just forget about it, okay?" _Oh god, that's so not what I wanted to say. What am I saying_, Dean thought, but could not bring himself to say, what he actually wanted to say.

Dean watched the angel lower his gaze for a moment. Closing his eyes, contemplating. Once he had opened them again, the blue in those eyes was deep and cold, like the first time he had met the angel. The hunter wanted to say something, but Castiel was already back up at his feet, getting his clothes back together. "I shall occupy the bathroom. I assume this needs to be cleaned." he said and walked toward the door. Desperately, Dean tried to come up with something, like an apology, which would have been very fitting, but then, the angel had left him alone. With a frustrated growl, the hunter sat up at the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. "I deserve to be killed at once for stupidity. Oh god..."

As the music faded away being replaced by a voice, telling them to enjoy the next hour off nonstop music, the hunter realized something. They had to go downstairs eventually. Dean could jump or climb out of the window for sure but that would not help him forget what had happened. Again. When the next song started to play Dean flinched and tried to reach the radio to turn it off. _I feel it in my veins, it's not going away, everything's about to change _and the music got cut off when he finally got the switch. They had not been that loud, hopefully. He could still scratch out the memory and make himself believe that he and the angel had been fighting while the crows were finally leaving earth. Yes, that would be a good excuse if somebody would ask questions.

Once Castiel had finished his business in the bathroom, Dean had practically barricaded himself in it, taking his time. When he finally made it out, Castiel had been waiting in front of the door, patiently as always. "Okay. I'm ready... Let's face it." Dean said, stomping right past the angel.

One hour later, the Impala rolled into view. Sam exited the car and walked towards the entrance of Bobbie's house just to find his brother sitting on the couch, looking like he had woken up from the worst nightmare ever. His hair was a mess and his clothes were... well, not better. The angel was standing a few feet away from him, staring out of the window with a nearly clinical expression. "Did I miss something?" he said and tried to seek any information from the look of his brother, the angel or the old hunter. "The birds are back in the cage." Bobby said and closed the big book on his desk with a loud thud. "Hey Cas you alright? You look a bit sick." The angel raised his head and laid his eyes on the younger hunter. "Kinky." Sam was not sure what Castiel meant and took another step forward towards his brother, who started to change his face color from red to deep crimson. "Dean said, I am kinky not sick." Sam could hear the older hunter choke on his beer and by judging his brother's face, this had not been an attempt to make a joke. The young hunter smiled sheepishly. "So did you two finally got to talk? Is everything back to normal or will I run into you two humping each other more often from now on?" Dean practically jumped from the couch, glaring at the angel, then at his brother. Before he could say anything stupid again, he was cut off by Castiel.

"Maybe."

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><p><strong>Yepp the chapter is over right here. You mad? <strong>

**You have no idea how happy we are to let you know that it took nearly half a year to get here haha. Oh well.**  
><strong>The next chapter could have been the Halloween special but don't even think about it. We won't be able to finish that in time. <strong>  
><strong>Anyway hope you enjoyed the long wait and see ya next chapter! Spooky Spooky<strong>


	17. Epilogue - End of the Road

To all those who have read our fic, to all those who commented or even shed a tear, thank you for spending your time on reading this fic.  
>I'm sorry.<br>I can't really stand the thought that we had so much more planned for this story. Many unwritten chapters only keynotes and endless conversations on what would follow.  
>It doesn't seem like we have the stamina nor the time to continue but I won't leave this fic open and on in process forever!<br>That's while I simply put the end chapter in. It doesn't really go with the end of the other chapter, cause it't not planned to be the last one.

If we ever manage to write a new chapter, I will update this thing but as long as we can't do that, have the somewhat out of place end and epilogue for a fic, that took place in the fifth season, atleast in our brain.

Enjoy the epilogue and once again, thanks for reading.

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><p><strong>It's a long way down<strong>

When the end is near, there's no turning back

It was quiet around them, only the Impala created a soft noise while they crossed city after city. Dean wasn't in the mood to speak to either his brother nor the angel on his backseat. Even though he knew they were damned, hope was somewhere to be found. Maybe not with them right now but possibly around on the way to their destiny. A heavy sigh escaped him. Lucifer would be right after all but there was no way he would let Sam slip away that easily.

He hadn't said "Yes" to Michael and that wasn't necessary anymore, Adam took the job, but for Sam, it was different. They had to end all of this for once and according to the plan, they had 5% of a chance to win this, the rest was depended on luck and how bad their destiny wanted them all dead. Sam would say "Yes" and invite the damn devil to wear him for the bloody prom night and he would take control over his mind and trap him inside, he could do it.  
>With that thought kept in mind, Dean just drove on. His gaze straight on the horrizon, which turned into a pretty bright red-golden line far in the distance.<p>

The silence started to annoy him. It almost felt like they had given in. Sam, his head leaning against the window, staring the the dark nothingness outside. He glanced into the mirror, Castiel sat on the backseat, his head lowered and starring at his feat, as usual.  
>No difference at all.<br>_That's it!, _the hunter thought to himself and turned on the damn radio. Some news about missing people, murder and burning schools didn't change the mood to any better. Growling to himself he was about to turn it off when finally the man introduced the next artist and a song started to play.

**"Come on in son have a seat don't mind the screams, don't mind the heat."**

How fitting, he let it play along even though the lyrics felt like they were written on his bones.  
>He knew the song well enough to know what it was about. What a coincident! It just felt so appropriate for what they were going to witness, if they couldn't stop this damn war, the world would burn like hell on earth.<p>

**"Did ya think son after what you've done, the Lord would let you slide?"**

Tipping his fingers on the wheel to the catchy rhythm of the song and moving his lips to the lyrics, he kept driving. When the refrain started Dean couldn't controll himself anymore.  
>He turned the radio up and started to sing along.<br>"Welcome to hell!" he bursted out, making Sam jerk up in a straight position. Castiel didn't bother looking up and kept staring down, depressed at the thought this would seriously be the last time they're spending together. He got so used to it he couldn't imagine the end, not just yet. Dean didn't bother watching over to neither of them and just kept singing a little lower than before nearly mumbling.  
>"Right where you belong." Narrowing his eyes and tightening his grip on the wheel. Letting out his anger and sadness in that damn song he started to sing a little louder again, just to relieve a bit of stress and to cheer himself up.<br>"I don't know what you've been told but there ain't no virgins here!" he glanced into the mirror and met Castiels eyes for a brief second before he shook his head and smiled wickedly. As the refrain was about to start again he opened his mouth and exhaled.  
>"Welcome to hell!" Sam joined him into his singing, making the older Winchester stumble for a second and looking to his brother who just bursted out singing. His confused look met with his brothers quite upbeat face and a bright smile grew on Deans face, widening as he turned his head back to the street and rejoined him.<br>"Welcome to hell!" both of them knowing the meaning but didn't care right now. The song was just catchy. Sam didn't knew the lyrics too well but he tried to keep up with his brother. Doing this together, at least once. There wasn't much time left to spend moments together anyways, so rather do something than staring holes into the landscape.  
>"Your final sin got you in" Oh Dean knew the song and didn't even thought about stopping anytime soon. It felt right. Some people even said, singing was an act of relieving ones soul and to confess to yourself, others just thought it was annoying for the people around, especially when your voice sounded like a cat on fire.<br>Preparing themselfs for the refrain again they took a deep breath in and started over again.  
>"Welcome to hell!" Both Winchesters flinched as they heard the pretty deep but powerful voice behind them. Castiel had joined them but as he felt the gaze of the brothers he went quite again, feeling kind of trapped by their gaze. When he looked up again he met Sams grinning face and Deans cheerful smile. They turned around again and sang along, obviously being fine with his voice joining them.<br>"You did the crime now you'll do the time right where you belong!" they rocked on even banging their heads a little. Sam played air guitar on the keyboard, Castiel swayed to the music and Dean drummed the rhythm onto the steering wheel. Losing it.

"Welcome to hell!"  
>The three man grew louder even more and the voice in the radio wasn't audible anymore, just the beat. All the fear, the feature, hell, it was gone. All they knew was this moment would last for now. This damn song united them and brought unknown strength up from the bottom of nowhere. "And now your ass is mine." Dean yelled grinning like a maniac and making Castiel grin back at him, leaning back into the backseat, still wiggling his feat.<br>As the song reached its end, the mood vanished with it. Their singing died away quietly and the man in the radio took control over his song again.

**"Welcome to hell, boy!"**

"You're... gonna love it." Dean lowered his voice. Sam and Castiel already stopped singing a while ago. The song faded away and it felt like their strength died with it. Leading his attention back to the street and the way infront of them. The Impala getting them closer to their destination. The sun rose higher and turned the sky in front of them into a red burning sight. Maybe on another day it would've been beautiful but for them, it felt like the sky would mock them even more. Sam had rested his head back onto the cool window and Castiel did the same. The radio remained silent and only a silent whirring exceeded from it. They were out of reach. No turning back now. As the buildings of the arranged city came in view, the sky made it looked like it was already burning and turning into dust. _Sweet illusion_, Dean muttered to himself, nothing of his enthusiam left. Pressing down the pedal and increasing their speed. Bringing them closer to their possible death. A last faint smile crossed his face before it vanished into a stern, blank gaze.

"Welcome to hell."

**End of the road.**


End file.
